Performers for the 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14 Caravan Du Nord show at the Historic Paramount Theatre have routinely used two words to describe what to expect: high energy.

“I really like a high energy show, and that’s kind of what I’m all about,” said Sean Tillmann, better known in the music world as Har Mar Superstar.

Har Mar will headline the Caravan Du Nord’s return to Austin, and the show will also feature up-and-comer Reina Del Cid and local act The Peter Jacobs Trio.

“I think it’s going to be a real high energy show,” said Reina Del Cid, echoing Tillmann’s statements.

Austin Area Commission for the Arts Director Jennie Knoebel described the show as a safe place for area music fans to experience something new in an affordable way without leaving the area.

“It’s an opportunity for a community to take a chance on some artists,” Knoebel said, without having to drive to the cities.

She was excited to have Har Mar Superstar bringing his unique blend of R&B and pop to the Paramount.

“He’s a great performer,” Knoebel said. “Puts on a good show.”

A Har Mar supergroup

Tillmann is bringing a Minnesota supergroup of sorts to Austin.

Polica’s bassist Chris Bierden and two drummers Ben Ivascu and Drew Christopherson will play with Sean Tillmann as will Minneapolis keyboardist Jake Luck.

“I’m excited, because I’m putting together a special lineup for the weekend of shows,” Tillmann said.

Tillmann says he commonly tours with two to three other musicians, so he’s excited to feature an extended lineup of musicians with various tastes and talents.

“This lineup’s going to be really fun,” he said. “And not many people get to see it.”

Tillmann, who currently lives in New York, is returning to the Midwest for a trio of shows in smaller cities he wouldn’t normally hit on a tour, including The Nest in St. Cloud on Nov. 12, St. Croix Casino in Turtle Lake on Nov. 13, Wisconsin, and then Austin’s Paramount Theatre on Nov. 14.

Tillmann is known for his stage presence, which often includes a flamboyant and confident approach. Though Tillmann has been working on a new album, and after the Austin show he’ll travel to California to mix the album, which is tentatively scheduled for an April release. Though he’ll play a few of the new tracks in Austin, Tillmann said he’ll likely stick to his established material.

“I won’t inundate the crowd with too much new stuff,” he said.

Tillmann grew up in Owatonna, but he’s never played in Austin.

“I’m excited to finally do it,” he said.

Tillmann is especially excited for the new lineup he’ll be bringing with him on these shows, noting most of the material will be performed live with very little tracking.

“I’m excited, because I’m putting together a special lineup for the weekend of shows,” he said.

“I think it’s going to sound really, really good,” he added.

Though he’s played with each of the musicians before, he’s never played with them as a group, and Tillmann said new lineups make it fun for him to experience and perform the songs in new ways.

 

“It’s different in like a really collaborative way that is in inspiring me to reexamine my songs,” he said.

“It refreshes it for me,” he added.

A matter of collaboration

The collaborative nature of Har Mar’s upcoming set is fitting for his first show with the Caravan Du Nord, as part of the tour’s mission is to connect Minnesota musicians.

Tillmann has worked with many Minnesota bands and musicians, and he noted collaboration is a vital part of the Minnesota music scene.

“Everybody works together on everything; it’s really cool,” he said.

Organizers are offering a rare chance for musicians to connect. They’ll also host workshops that Saturday at 2 and 3 p.m. The first will focus on promotions, and the second will focus on booking gigs. Both shows will feature a panel discussion on the issues with artists.

“We really encourage any aspiring musicians to attend,” Knoebel said.

Ellen Stanley, the coalition’s executive director, said it’s a key way to help musicians expand.

“We want to help musicians, again, achieve that next level,” Stanley said.

Then around 4 p.m., the musicians are invited to a social hour at Dusty’s Lounge, 422 N. Main St. in Austin.

The social hour and workshops have been a vital way to bring musicians together.

“That’s been a great opportunity for after the workshop for musicians to get to know each other,” Stanley said. “Minnesota Music Coalition is really about building community around music.”

But it’s not just about the musicians. The Caravan is a tour put on by the Minnesota Music Coalition and 89.3 FM The Current to help support Minnesota music and bring small town residents a taste of affordable music they may not normally get outside the Twin Cities.

“Definitely one of the missions is to expose people to new music,” Stanley said.

Reina Del Cid and her group will be coming to Austin on Nov. 13 to perform and share with students at Austin High School.

Lyrically minded

Del Cid is excited to return to Austin after playing during the Austin ArtWorks Festival in August.

Though the weather didn’t cooperate on a windy, chilly day, she said she still had a good, supportive crowd.

Like Tillmann Del Cid and her band are playing their first show with the Caravan Du Nord, but she’s excited to connect with a group she praised for bring positive programming around the state.

Del Cid is also excited to give Austin a taste of her new album, “The Cooling,” which she said highlights the band’s darker, more brooding style. Much of her music is lyrically-driven, and she said the title track “The Cooling” is about waking up one day and realizing you’re dead but nothing is really different. She joked it’s sort of like a zombie song.

Del Cid, who majored in English in college, notes she gets much of her inspiration from writers like T.S. Eliot and Virginia Woolf.

Del Cid is a fan of Tillmann’s music and praised him for his lyrical style as well. She was excited to get a chance to share the stage.

“I think it will be a really high energy but then a lyrically-focused show,” Del Cid said.

Returning to Austin

The Caravan Du Nord has been coming to Austin for several years, and Stanley praised the Paramount and Knoebel as being enthusiastic partners with the Caravan Du Nord and said that’s a key reason why the tour keeps coming back to Austin.

Knoebel promised the concert will be relatively laid back, and she people can come for one act or head out to the bar and come back to the show.

“It’s kind of a more relaxed atmosphere,” she said.

Tillmann promised a show that will be high energy and will get the crowd involved.

Tillmann joked he likely hasn’t been to Austin since a junior high school game, so he’s excited to get back in a new capacity.

“I expect a good time, and I’m excited. I’m excited to check out Austin more closely,” he said.