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Traveling music showcase includes daytime workshops and an evening performance featuring Mae Simpson with Maygen & the Birdwatcher and Amanda Grace

 

Saturday marks the fifth stop for the Minnesota Music Coalition’s Caravan du Nord, a traveling showcase of music around Greater Minnesota. 

The upcoming show at Paramount Theatre includes performances from Mae Simpson and her seven-piece band, bluegrass-folk band Maygen & the Birdwatcher and singer-songwriter Amanda Grace.

Simpson merges a variety of influences including funk, rock, R&B and folk into her music. The band brings an energetic performance to the stage and has opened for Dermot Kennedy and Karl Denison’s Tiny Universe.

Simpson has two EPs currently out. The latest, “Did You Make it Back,” was released in 2020. More recently, in 2021, she released a pair of singles — “Stuck Behind the Blues” and “Falling.”

Maygen & the Birdwatcher released a full-length album, “Moonshine” in 2021 that earned them Album of the Year and Americana Artist of the Year at the Midwest Country Music Awards.

They also released a five-song EP in October of last year, “Bootleggin’ At The Flower Shoppe.”

Grace’s most recent album came in 2021 with the release of “Please Dear Sun.”

There will be two workshops held at the Paramount Theatre ahead of the Austin show.

First, MMC Executive Director Scott LeGere will host “Music Careers in 2023,” where he’ll cover topics including digital distribution, revenue streams, and resources for Minnesota musicians to help broaden potential opportunities in the current environment. 

Following that, a panel of musicians including Mae Simpson, Josh Whalen, Maygen Lacey, and Jae Havoc will discuss how they have built their careers, what they learned along the way, and how those lessons can translate to your musical journey.

After the workshops, there will be a networking social hour at Dusty’s Bar and Lounge, where musicians can meet with each other and talk with industry professionals.

This year’s tour encompasses six shows across the state that started in October of last year through March. In partnership with The Current, the tour launched with stops in St. Paul and Red Wing, and picked up again in January with stops in Rochester, Northfield, and Austin, with the final show in Duluth on March 11.

Workshops

• 3-4 p.m.: Music Careers in 2023 with Scott LeGere

• 4-5 p.m.: Musician Panel: Making it in Minnesota — How Musicians Build Successful Career Paths

• 5:30-6:30 p.m.: Networking Social Hour, Dusty’s Bar and Lounge, 422 N Main St.

 Concert

• 7 p.m. doors/7:30 show: Mae Simpson, with Maygen & The Birdwatcher and Amanda Grace

 Where

• Paramount Theatre, 125 4th Avenue NE, Austin, MN