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Tickets are also available in person at these outlets:
Electric Fetus (Minneapolis)
Ginkgo Coffeehouse (St. Paul)
Hobgoblin Music (Red Wing)
After the success of last year's Blues at the Barn festival, Red House will expand this year's event to include twice as much music! Going beyond blues, this year's Barnfest will be bigger and better. A full day of folk, roots and Americana music with an all-star line-up that includes such acts as Pieta Brown, Cliff Eberhardt, Storyhill, Danny Schmidt, Ruth Moody of The Wailin' Jennys, Carrie Elkin and more! Hearkening back to the days of Red House's Summerfolk festivals, this will be an event to remember with food, fun and music in a beautiful farm setting, just a short drive from our hometown of St. Paul, MN.
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the gate. Kids under 10 are FREE!
Gates open at Noon
RED HOUSE BARNFEST
Saturday, August 7th, 1:00 - 7:30 pm
Hobgoblin Music - Outdoor Amphitheater
920 State Highway 19
Red Wing, MN
(651) 388-8400
Get Directions (from St. Paul, MN)
Schedule for Saturday
Noon - Gates Open
1:00-1:15 pm - Brianna Lane
1:15-1:30 pm - Erik Koskinen
1:45-2:20 pm - 'Spider' John Koerner
2:35-3:10 pm - Cliff Eberhardt
3:25-4:00 pm - Carrie Elkin
4:15-4:50 pm - Storyhill
5:05-5:40 pm - Danny Schmidt
5:55-6:30 pm - Pieta Brown
6:45-7:30 pm - Ruth Moody
PIETA BROWN makes folk music like Miles Davis made jazz. Cool, subtle and powerful with a less-is-more style all her own. Her breathy voice delivers her combo of alt-country, folk, blues, and indie-rock with a fresh, soul-tinged groove, raising the bar of what great music is. Fresh off the release of her knock-out album One and All, Pieta comes to Barnfest with some of her strongest material to date. Her songs are informed travellogues, reflecting her rambling style laced with poetic lyrics that seem to spill from her conscience with ease. These are heart-felt songs with hypnotic melodies that will live in your head. She recently wrapped up a tour with rock legend Mark Knopfler and drew rave reviews, capturing a whole new audience that got a chance to catch one of Americana/folk music's rising stars. A strong addition to a stellar line-up, Pieta is one of the definitive voices of the next generation of Americana singer/songwriters.
CLIFF EBERHARDT is one of the most magnetic performers you will ever see. With his gritty, powerful voice and impeccable guitar chops he fills any space he is playing with equal parts gusto and charm. His songs range from heartbroken tales of love gone wrong to powerful guitar driven tunes about heaven and hell to light-hearted tunes about the pitfalls of money. Cliff's one-of-a-kind twists of phrases and words are the mark of his shear genius. His latest album 500 Miles: The Blue Rock Sessions is a fantastic recording that swaggers with the intensity of the Texas heat where it was recorded. He's played every corner of the country with a who's who of artists and having him at Barnfest is quite frankly awesome. He'll wow you, bring you to the brink of tears just before he boles you over in laughter. His stage presence is awe inspiring and his music purely capitivating. If you've never seen Cliff live, this is your chance to see a songwriting legend whose songs belong as part of the great American song book.
Watch Cliff perform "I Love Money"
RUTH MOODY is one third of the folk super group The Wailin' Jennys, but with her smashing US solo debut, The Garden she proves herself a high-caliber solo songwriter and musician on her own. With the kind of voice that silences rooms and demands your attention, Ruth's sweet melodies soar with instrumentation that pushes the boundaries of traditional folk, and a voice that will sooth even your most inner demons. She wowed crowds at SXSW this year and having her at Barnfest will be one of those musical moments you talk about for years to come. Ruth's musical influences are vast ranging from classical to Celtic, folk, to pop and as a mulit-instrumentalist herself, Ruth is the kind of musician who sits on a higher plane and The Garden is the kind of record that top-40 stars wish they had written. Check her out at Barnfest this year and go home satisfied.
DANNY SCHMIDT is a hidden gem of the Austin music scene who has been relentlessly touring the country for over a decade. He's reached cult status among his growing legions of fans. In early 2009 he released his Red House debut Instead the Forest Rose to Sing quickly earning accolades for his Greg Brown-esque lyricism and nimble guitar work. The last time he performed in Minneapolis, he put on a stellar set and the merch table was mobbed seconds after his final note rang out. If you missed Danny before, Barnfest is your chance to see one of the rising stars of acoustic music. With a new album on the horizon there's a strong chance you'll be treated to some new material as well as highlights from Instead the Forest.... and his early material. Since his partner-in-crime Carrie Elkin is also on the Barnfest bill, don't be surprised if you see these two lending harmonies on each others set.
Watch Danny perform "Better Off Broke"
STORYHILL is known to draw crowds, especially in Minnesota. Over their 20 plus years in music they have amassed one of the most rabid fanbases in music. Recalling The Everly Brother and Simon & Garfunkel their vocals are intertwined in breathtaking harmony delivering infectious melodies over a backdrop of intricate guitars. Storyhill brings their unparelleled muscial talent to Barnfest's already robust line-up, sure to perform songs from their critically acclaimed new release Shade of the Trees. An album recorded with a simplicity that captures the complexities of their musicianship, often their voices are so in tune with each other that they seem to sing as one unit. Shade of the Trees shows that Storyhill is at the pinnacle of their songwriting career and catching their performance at Barnfest this year is a must see. Hearing their voices float over the hills and valleys of Red Wing will be a soul-stirring experience that you won't want to miss!
Watch Storyhill perform "Dangerous Weapon"
"SPIDER" JOHN KOERNER is one of the most iconic blues-folk musicians in the country laying claim to influencing everyone from John Lennon to Bob Dylan. As part of the self-proclaimed "fun loving trio of misfits" Koerner, Ray, and Glover, "Spider" John has been part of some of the most legendary albums in folk including Running, Jumping, Standing Still and Blues, Rags, and Hollers which is considered one of the cornerstones of the Sixties folk-blues revival. In 1986 Koerner and a group of musicians braved a toronado and recorded the album Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Been. The album was released on Red House and is considered one of the great folk records of all time. As one of the pioneers of the Minneapolis West Bank folk scene "Spider" John Koerner comes to Barnfest with his signature voice and unique brand of foot-stomping blues, capturing audiences both young and young at heart. His rollicking treatments of traditional folk and self-penned classics show why he is one of America's true musical originals. A living legend among us, his performance is not-to-be-missed!
Watch "Spider" John perform "Been Here Done That"
CARRIE ELKIN is a singer-songwriting troubadour in the most classic sense. She's been riding the "gypsy breeze of serendipity" for the last 10 years landing in Cleveland, Taos, Athens, Steamboat Springs and finally planting herself in Austin, TX. A free-spirit who makes the best of any situation that rolls her way, often turning them into engrossing story-songs. Through her highly spirited and spontaneous performances, Carrie has been building a steady buzz in the Austin scene, around the country, the UK and Europe. The BBC swooned over her 2007 album Jeopardy of Circumstance, comparing her to Patti Griffin, Nanci Griffith and Iris DeMent. Though not an official Red House artist, Carrie is no stranger, performing at our SXSW parties and swinging through the offices every time she's in town. To say we're thrilled to have Carrie at Barnfest this year is an understatement. We know that once you experience her fiery performance and catchy tunes you'll fall in love with her music.
Watch Carrie perform "Roots and Angels"
ERIK KOSKINEN and BRIANNA LANE will kick off Barnfest with the Minnesota Songwriter Spotlight. As two of our favorite local songwriters their roots, Americana, blues styles and lyrical craft are a perfect fit for the festival.
Erik is quickly becoming one of the premier writers and musicians of the Midwest. A songwriter who draws inspiration from Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash as well as the graphic landscape of Michigan's Upper Peninsula where Erik grew up. Those of you at last year's festival will remember him playing with Molly Maher & Her Disbelievers. He returns this year on his own behind a brand new record Keep It To Yourself.
Brianna is a rising star among Minnesota singer/songwriters who crafts songs that are clear-eyed and pure. Her eight years as a touring musician have taken her across the country and back again performing with greats like Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Billy Bragg, Patty Larkin and Dar Williams to name a few. Her albums have been highly lauded and Minneapolis rock writer Jim Walsh calls Brianna "a star in the making...a soul-singer of the first order."
Watch Brianna perform "Alstroemeria"
Watch Erik perform "Think About Her All Night"
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