Grand Old Day (06-01-2025)
The Grand Stage
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Homegrown Stage
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Live and Local Stage
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School of Rock Stage
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June 1st kicked off the block party season in the Twin Cities with Grand Old Day. Actually, the block party extended more than one block. This year it stretched from Snelling to Dale Avenue, a distance so far, I could not see the other end, just an endless stream of people walking back and forth along the avenue.
Grand Old Day is a celebration of Grand Avenue in St. Paul, a mix of small businesses, restaurants, shops, homes and apartments. Somehow, they cram a weeks-worth of activities into one day. Walking up and down the avenue, there is a feeling of being at the Minnesota State Fair, except there is no chance of getting lost with only one street.
Still, I managed to miss the first two of six stages on my venture to the Grand Stage. So, apologies to performers playing on The Vibes Stage and Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Stage.
But even with the miss, there was plenty of music at the School of Rock Stage, where high school students were getting their first chance of playing in front of a live crowd, and the Live and Local Stage, where young (and very talented) musicians dazzled the crowd with their skills.
Before reaching the Grand Stage, I saw The Scarlet Goodbye at the Home Grown Stage, a musical collaboration between local musicians, Daniel Murphy and Jeff Arundel. Then there was Yonder at the Grand Stage, an up-and-coming band you should keep an eye out for with Hattie Peach on violin and Emma Jeanne on guitar.
From there I toggled between the two stages with Ladies of the 80’s, which is exactly what they say they are as they kicked off their set with Katrina and the Waves “Walking on Sunshine”.
Our friendly neighbor from Wisconsin, Them Coulee Boys, were up next and put on quite a show as the temperature rose and the sky dimmed from Canadian smoke drifting in. Then 13 Arrows kept the party going with their cover of Tom Petty’s “American Girl” along with originals from their own cannon.
The Grand Stage grounds were completely full by the time The Cactus Blossoms took the stage. And even though the swell of humanity made the venue feel like an outdoor sauna, not one bead of sweat could be found on this cooler than cool retro folk-rock duo of Jack Torrey and Page Burkum.
And to wrap up the musical party was the legendary the4onthefloor, a band you want at a summer block party with foot-to-the-pedal songs like “Lionhearted” and Ray Wylie Hubbard’s cover “Snake Farm”, a song that brought a roar from the crowd that equaled those I heard at the Wiener Dog Races earlier that day.
