Local act to be featured with Twin Cities bands

Published 6:50 pm Saturday, October 20, 2012

4onthefloor

A Taste of Twin Cities music is coming to Austin.

Twin Cities bands 4onthefloor and Me And My Arrow will perform at the Paramount Theatre Oct. 26 as part of the eight-city Caravan du Nord tour, sponsored by the Minnesota Music Coalition (MMC) and the 89.3 The Current.

Me and My Arrow

“It’s going to be two fantastic bands from the twin cities,” said Paramount Executive Director Jennie Knoebel, who added it will be a good way for people to sample Minnesota Music.

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Tickets are $5.

Knoebel promised the Paramount should be rocking: “It’s loud rock music.”

That will be especially true of the bluesy 4onthefloor, which boasts a heavy rhythm section and four bass drums to back lead singer Gabriel Douglas’s gritty vocals.

Me and My Arrow blends strings, pianos, synths, guitars and urban clanging, along with a vocal harmonies.

Along with the Twin Cities bands, local act Angel, featuring Angel Val and other local musicians, will open the show at 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Angel Val of the band Angel

Before the concert, local musicians will have a chance to participate in a songwriting workshop with 4onthefloor at 3:15 p.m., followed by a 4:30 p.m. workshop centered on building a career as a sustainable musician. The workshops are free and open to the public.

Knoebel said the bands will appeal to younger audiences, especially people in their 20s and 30s.

“Its going to be a really great time, so I hope a lot of people come out for it,” Knoebel said.

 Caravan du Nord in Austin

Tickets: $5, available at Paramount Box Office

Times: 6:25 p.m. — Welcome from Mary Lucia of The Current

6:30-7 p.m. — Angel

7:15-8 p.m. — Me and My Arrow

8:15-9:15 p.m. — 4onthefloor

 Music workshops

In Room E102 of Riverland’s East Building.

3:15-4:15 p.m. — Artist song-writing Workshop.

4onthefloor will lead a workshop on song-writing and their inspirations, motivations and methods. The Current host Mary Lucia will moderate.

4:30-5:30 p.m. — Building a Sustainable Career as an Independent Artist

This “study hall” will feature the band Me and My Arrow, Ellen Stanley of Red House Records, Ashley Hanson and Sheila Smith of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts. Hanson is a freelance “arts Enabler” assisting artists and arts organizations in grant writing and project management among other work in the arts world. The session will be moderated by Beth Burn, a Minnesota Music Coalition board member, a former Guthrie tour manager and a former manager/tour manager for bands. The panel will discuss grant opportunities for independent musicians, the pros and cons of finding a label, how to tour/promote your music independently and answer any questions the audience asks.”