Under the towering cottonwood trees in the Stockholm Village Park, located on the banks of the Mississippi River at Lake Pepin, the fair offers a background of live music from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with diverse performances by some of the area’s premier players. To help offset the cost of bringing these fine musicians to the fair, please consider throwing some of your extra change into the “tip jar” to help keep music in our next season of the Stockholm Art Fair!
10:00 – 11:00: Yata
Soothing Singer-Songwriter
from Stone Lake, Wisconsin
Yata’s smooth lyrical voice and luscious guitar is the perfect sound to kick off the music stage this year. He has performed over 40 times at SAF! Here’s what Yata has to say about it:
“My first Stockholm Art Fair was in the summer of ‘79, when I heard Sonny Nelson and Soren Svedvik playing congas under the tall cottonwood trees and asked if I could sit in on guitar and vocals. We played for hours unplugged. A year later, I moved to Stockholm and formed a community band called “Les Beats and the WallLockers” with a dozen local friends crammed together on a hay wagon with holes in the floor boards. The wagon rocked as we played and sang all afternoon. Now the Stockholm Art Fair is celebrating 50 years and every aspect has evolved. We have a stage and professional sound. My music has also evolved over the years, inspired in large part by collaborating with quality musicians on original songs. Yet, I still remember those early days, strummin’ and singin’ with good friends on an old hay wagon under the shade of the cottonwood trees.” www.yatayata.com
11:15 – 12:15: Dowser
Original Folk-Americana Duo
from Maiden Rock, Wisconsin
Dowser is the original Folk-Americana duo of John Kurtis Dehn on vocals, guitar and harmonica, and John Strei on drums and hand percussion. The two have been friends since high school and are veterans of many bands between them. They joined together in 2023 to form Dowser. Dehn’s songs contain shades of Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Jackson Browne and The Waterboys. His solo album “Shovel & Hole” can be previewed on his website or streamed on Bandcamp, Apple Music and Spotify. johnkurtisdehn.com
12:30 – 1:45: Patchouli & Terra Guitarra
World Folk Guitar Duo
from Maiden Rock, Wisconsin
Patchouli & Terra Guitarra is the #1 Charting International Guitar duo of master guitarist Bruce Hecksel and singer-songwriter, guitarist Julie Patchouli. Zone Music Reporter calls Terra Guitarra “one of the top nuevo-flamenco groups in the world”, awarded “Best Instrumental Album of the Year” for Of Sea & Stars. Patchouli is a folk festival headliner and Public Radio favorite with pure, sparkling lead vocals and beautiful harmonies.
Their sound, depth and virtuosity is described as “Simon and Garfunkel meets the Gipsy Kings” and City Pages compares it to “taking a yoga class in a field of running mustangs”. With 22 CDs, 5,000 shows played in the U.S., Europe and Asia, Patchouli & Terra Guitarra embody the spirit of the 60s and 70s, and the romance of the Spanish guitar with their world-class music that uplifts and gives hope in a show that “inspires the human spirit” — Chicago Tribune. www.patchouli.net
2:00: Artist Awards
Announcement and Presentation
Best of Show and three Merit Awards will be announced and presented on the main stage by this year’s two Stockholm Art Fair judges.
2:15 – 3:30: Always Late
Western Swing & Vintage Honky-Tonk
from Maiden Rock, Wisconsin
Always Late is comprised of Tim Caswell (guitar and vocals), Nancy Long (drums and vocals), and Emily Huppert (bass and vocals) who have extensive experience in many musical genres and unite their talents in a live performance full of three-part harmonies and toe tappin’ fun!
3:45 – 5:00: Tennessee Stiffs
Folk Rock Americana
from Red Wing, Minnesota
The Stiffs, who hail not from the Volunteer State, but that other roots-music Mecca — Austin, Texas — dip their bucket deep into the well of American music. Warped lo-fi folk gives way to frenetic honky-tonk riff rock and gutbucket country; forlorn Americana anthems resound off Texas hillsides, and blazing Southern rock screeches like tires on the last lap of a cup-winning speedway run.
Formed in late 2011 and fueled by their eclectic musical interests, co-founders-turned-married-couple Ethan Lee and Cara B were determined to create something never heard before. Cara’s melodies range from hauntingly beautiful to wildly soulful. Blended with Lee’s foot-stomping rhythms and gravelly vocals, the two take the “Beauty and the Beast” standard to heart.
Fast forward to 2023, Cara and Lee relocated to Red Wing, Minnesota, continuing their Americana musical portrait as a duo/trio with local percussionist Jake Ricks. www.tennesseestiffs.com
