RiverSong Music Festival

Minnesota's Homegrown Music Festival

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Bands

2025 Line-up is Here!

Friday Night 2025

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Michael Synes concert coming to MN
Michael Shynes

The fact that Michael Shynes is a Midwest born singer songwriter with a Platinum Record in Poland, in many ways, sums up the unlikelihood of his career perfectly. Being a self taught musician from a small town, he seemed to build a career out of nothing more than pure hustle and soulful songwriting. Even though the music itself may be difficult to define (often oscillating from Folk to Pop to R&B to Country and then back again), the intent behind it is the unifying ingredient. The unmistakable truth that it never strives to be anything less than genuine and authentic. Shynes has worked to become one of the most sought after performers in the Midwest. Blending shades of multiple genres over an acoustic and full band landscape, his songs are ripe with lyrical depth rarely paired with such mainstream appeal. The thing that seems to separate Shynes is unquestionably his vocal stylings. With a range and falsetto that is nothing short of captivating, his acoustic finger picking style acts as the perfect bed of warmth on which his soulful lyrics can rest.

Sam Licari and the Sweet Tease

Sam Licari and the Sweet Tease

Sam’s love for many genres of music fuse together in both his production and performing. You can find Sam playing bass around the Twin Cities with many acts including: Irie Minds, Trent Romens Band, Matt Schatza Trio, Alexander Craig, Brother Jon Band, Russ Parrish and the Lone Oaks as well as fronting his own projects under Sam Licari and the Sweet Tease.

husband-wife duo Goldpine

Goldpine
From Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion and the Kansas City Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium to listening rooms throughout the United States, husband-wife duo Goldpine has been offering their own brand of bold harmony-driven Americana to audiences large and small. Winner of the 2022 Rocky Mountain Songwriter Contest, their distinctive harmonies are clearly a channel for their sometimes-raucous, sometimes-reminiscent compositions. With an incredible collection of stories about life, love, and purpose, their live performance is a powerful projection of everything Goldpine is about: striking vocals, bold harmony, and introspection into the human experience.

Hawthorne Oachs

Hawthorne Oachs

Hawthorne Oachs is a storyteller by nature and a musician by trade. She is an old spirit trapped in a teenaged human cage. Through music, she is on an endless search to recreate the magic we have lost in this world. Hawthorne’s music is thoughtful, charged with harnessed emotion, and riddled with poetic and metaphorical observations about the human experience that are far beyond her years. Her sound is pop/rock-adjacent, but never quite conforming to any specific genre besides the indescribable one in her own mind’s eye. She makes conscious, intricate music for people who crave something nutritional in their listening. Hawthorne performed at Riversong in 2023, and is ready to show how she has changed and grown in those two short years!


Saturday Night 2025

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Gear Daddies concert coming to MN
Gear Daddies

After over 30 years together, one of the most resilient and influential Americana/Rock bands ever to come out of the Twin Cities is reaching back to the greatest fans in the world. With headline performances ranging from The David Letterman Show to Texas’ SXSW Music Festival, Gear Daddies has rocked fans from coast to coast. Over thousands of miles and countless venues from New York to Los Angeles to Phoenix to Denver to Kansas City to all over the Midwest, Martin Zellar, Nick Ciola, Randy Broughten and James “Billy” Dankert have galvanized a fan base across America with their unique brand of music and lyrics that exude an opportunity to relive some of our own life experiences.

Wild Horses

Wild Horses

Frontman Jed LaPlant comes from a family deeply tied into the Minnesota bluegrass community, where storytelling is central to a song. He draws on that background with lyrics that are personal and at times intimate. That intimacy translates to the audience in their live shows, balancing that deep connection with electrifying energy. The rootsy Americana rock band delivers music that has meaning, depth and ties to the human connection. Featuring band members from very different musical backgrounds (including Ariana LaPlant on vocals, keys, and fiddle; and Landon Pahl on bass, pedal steel, and banjo) they have landed on a sound that incorporates heartbreaking vocals, standout harmonies, driving beats, and epic jams. Wild Horses taps into their rural American roots with music that sends reverbs down your spine.   

 

Woodzen

Woodzen

Woodzen’s sound has been compared to an immense variety of bands (The Grateful Dead, The Wallflowers, The War on Drugs). Melding funk grooves with jazzy saxophone, blistering guitars, ethereal keyboards, and shimmering vocal harmonies, Woodzen’s live shows capture the essence of a jam band that’s not really a jam band. Add in evocative lyrics and call it psychedelic country. Woodzen performed at RiverSong last year and was highly requested to come back once again!

The Orange Goodness

The Orange Goodness

The Orange Goodness are an exciting groove-infused alt/indie rock group out of Minneapolis, MN, featuring Mike Michel (guitars, vocals) Ian Allison (bass), and Reese Kling (drums). This music collaboration grew organically from a solo acoustic recording and auditory health music campaign Mike created called On The Mend. After performing the songs from On The Mend on multiple stages as a solo artist, he decided to expand the performance experience to a full electric band, which led to the addition of Minnesota session aces Ian and Reese. Their collective chemistry was immediate, vibrant, and exploratory! The Orange Goodness released their debut single, Dare I Do, in 2020; in the fall of 2021, their debut EP, Flying Under The Radar Of Chaos, hit the airwaves. Thanks to their reputations as high energy performers and diverse session musicians, The Orange Goodness have been invited to many unique festivals, house concerts, clubs and theaters around the midwest. The Orange Goodness are steadfast in their mission to be an all inclusive, ageless, multi- dimensional rock group!

Johnny Clueless

Johnny Clueless
 

Johnny Clueless is a Minneapolis-based rock band with deep roots in the Midwest music scene. Known for their high-energy performances, memorable hooks, and tight musicianship, the band blends classic rock influences with a modern edge. Over the years, the band has built a loyal following through dynamic live shows at iconic venues across the country, connecting with fans through authentic lyrics and infectious melodies. Johnny Clueless delivers a sound that’s both nostalgic and refreshingly original- proving that real rock and roll is alive and well in the Twin Cities.

 

 

 


 

Interested in being a part of the Riversong line-up?

Are you a talented performer interesting in playing at RiverSong Music Festival in the future? We are always looking for good talent to fill our lineup.

Get in touch with us

We are so pleased to have been able to present many excellent performers over the years!

For nostalgia’s sake, here is a list of all the performers since 2009.

2024

Free Fallin
Dan Rodriguez
Tina & the B-Sides
Nato Coles
Trent Romens Band
Eli Gardiner Band
Woodzen

Mae Simpson
The New Primatives
Rogue Valley
The Suitcase Junket
Salsa del Soul
Fred the Bear

2023

Cole Diamond
Turn Turn Turn
Mae Simpson
American Scarecrows
The Bubbler
J.E. Sunde
Hawthorne Oachs

The Last Revel
The Orange Goodness
Good Morning Bedlam
St. Anthony Mann
The Cactus Blossoms
The Right Here
Fabulous Armadillos

2022

Faith Boblett
Michael Shynes
American Scarecrows
Jon Wayne and the Pain
The Federales
The Right Here
Tricia and the Toonies

Dan Rodriguez
Hooperina
Annie Mack
Church of Cash
Chester Bay
Pert Near Sandstone
Kiss the Tiger

2020

Annie Mack
Michael Shynes
Bad Bad Hats
4ontheFloor
The Right Here
Nooky Jones
Little Fevers

St. George’s Folly
Chester Bay
The Last Revel
Pert Near Sandstone
Church of Cash
Jon Wayne and the Pain

2019

Kent Burnside and the Flood Brothers
Katy Vernon
Good Morning Bedlam

Miss Myra & the Moonshiners

St. George’s Folly

Fastball
Fabulous Armadillos

Dan Rodriguez
Corey Medina
Chester Bay
Annie Fitzgerald

Thunder & Rain
4onthefloor

2018

Blues Traveler
Carrie Nation and the Speakeasy
Good Morning Bedlam
Davina and the Vagabonds
Jon Wayne and the Pain
Dusty Heart

Crankshaft and the Gear Grinders
Romantica
M French
Siama’s Congo Roots
Lowland Lakers
Jillian Rae
Como Ave Jug Band

2017

Shoeless Revolution
Whitehorse
Erik Koskinen Band
Gin Blossoms
Michael Shynes
Kind Country
Jackson and the Roosters

Jillian Rae
Heather Maloney
Farewell Milwaukee
Everett Smithson Band
Crankshaft and the Gear Grinders
Fabulous Armadillos

2016

Banditos
Jeremy Messersmith
Buck Hutchinson and the Crow River Ramblers
Kat Perkins
Carrie Nation and the Speakeasy
Little Hurricane
Charlie Parr

Socaholix
Crankshaft and the Gear Grinders
The DMB Tribute Crowded Streets
Daisy Dillman Acoustic
The Lowland Lakers
Farewell Milwaukee
The Okee Dokee Brothers

2015

Birds of Chicago
Legendary Shack Shakers
David Lee
Mark Edgar Stuart
Honey Honey
Possessed by Paul James
Horseshoes & Hand Grenades
Socaholix
Jack Pearson

Splatter Sisters
Janis Ian
Star & Micey
Jeff Ray and Harold Tremblay
The Bazillions
Jeff Ray and Mikkel Beckmen
Zoe Lewis
Keri Noble

2014

Caravan of Thieves
Jeff Ray and Harold Tremblay
Chic Gamine
Malamanya
Choo Choo Bob and the Holy Smokestacks
Rayland Baxter
Cory Chisel and The Wandering Sons, Adriel Denae, Invisableman (Formerly known as Space Woman) and Special Guests

Sena Ehrhardt
Dianne Gasch
Slaid Cleaves
Ellis
Star & Micey
Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank
The Bazillions
Jack Klatt & The Cat Swingers

2013

April Verch Band
Matt Ray & Those Damn Horses
Bethany Larson & The Bees Knees
Molly Maher & The Disbelievers
Caroline Smith
Peter Mayer
Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons
Peter Yarrow

Hymn for Her
Sophia Shorai Trio
Jack Klatt & The Cat Swingers
The Okee Dokee Brothers
Javier & the Innocent Sons (previously HUD)
The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
Magic Mama
Traveled Ground

2012

Bunny Clogs
Paul Spring
Caleb Hawley
Pieta Brown
Chastity Brown
Solas

Davina & The Vagabonds
Steve Howard and Phil Nusbaum
Lucy Michelle & The Velvet Lapelles
The Brothers Burn Mountain

Matt Ray & Those Damn Horses
The Okee Dokee Brothers
Matt The Electrician
The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
Michael Johnson
Traveled Ground
Patty and the Buttons
Useful Jenkins

2011

April Smith & the Great Picture Show
Stacy Halter
Cactus Blossoms
Steve Kaul & the Brass Kings
Davina & The Vagabonds
Sweet Grass Fish Frye
The Hollands!
Jack Pearson
The Mudbugs
Magic Mama

Tom Catmull with John Sporman
Natalia Zukerman
Useful Jenkins
Roma DiLuna
Victoria Vox
Ross Sutter
William Elliott Whitemore
Six Mile Grove
Winterbloom

2010

Bearfoot
Natalia Zukerman
Bill & Kate Isles
North River Ramblers
Charlie Parr
Patchouli
Chris Koza
Rhythm Angels

Eelpout Stringers
Shawn Phillips
HUD
Slim Pickins
Lehto & Wright
Stearns County
Stearns County Pachanga Society

2009

Andy Austin
Michael Monroe
Bob Gasch
Old Time Country & Blues Revue
Brian Brosz & Friends
Pat Donahue
Charlie Maguire
Patchouli
Cheryl, Lucy & Patty
Pert’ Near Sandstone
Crow River Singers

Prairie Grass
Danny Santos
Romantica
Dianne Gasch
Ross Sutter
Erin Bode
Stearns County Pachanga Society
Feelin’ Groovy
Susan Werner
Jim Post
The Hutchinson Brothers

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RiverSong is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

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