Summer Concert Series
Take in some great live music at the Surf Ballroom! The Summer Concert Series features live music by regional & well known musicians, hosted on Wednesday evenings from June 7-August 16, 2023.
Doors open nightly at 6pm, with donations for the Surf Ballroom & Museum's Education and Outreach Programs being accepted in lieu of admission.
Food delivery available from the Legacy Grill - dine at your table during the show!
Sponsored in part by Raymond JamesⓇ, Clear Lake Bank & Trust & Dean Snyder Construction.
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Jack Knife & The SharpsJune 7, 2023Genre: Rockabilly Jack Knife & The Sharps, led by the exceptional vintage guitar playing of Rick Hollister, is one of the leading rockabilly bands playing in Minnesota today. Formed in 1984, Hollister is joined by long-time producer and engineer, Jeff Bjork on drums and Scotty Christianson on upright bass. Rockabilly and roots music fans enjoy Rick Hollister’s precise, deep-toned guitar sounds and right-on-the-money vocals and find the relentless rhythms from the bass and drums to be irresistible. Jack Knife & The Sharps’ primary musical style is rockabilly, although they blend different musical styles with ease and artistry. Country, blues, swing, and surf sounds all come together in one of the most spirited sets of good-time, rockin’ music you will hear. Hollister’s original songs are also standouts that could have been written 40 years ago and when the band plays the classics, they do it with a unique upbeat style that can't help but get under your skin. The group roars onto the stage like a custom-built vintage car with all the chrome and flash and no muffler. Their music is fast, loud, fun and definitely made for dancing. Retro rockers, rockabilly fans, and swing dancers count them as one of their favorite dance bands in the Upper Midwest. |
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Willy PorterJune 14, 2023 Some folks are lucky to find what they love to do at an early age and quietly settle in for the long haul expanding and developing their work over the arc of a lifetime. Willy Porter is one of those artists. He has followed his own path to explore the sacred language that music truly is. 30 years after his solo recording debut, he continues to reach further into his guitar & pen while stretching the form of what his own music can be. He’s currently working on his 13th album for release in 2023. |
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Eli Alger & The Faster HorsesJune 21, 2023 Corn-fed and headstrong, Eli Alger is churning new dirt in an old-school way amidst the Nashville country music scene. The Des Moines Iowa native singer/songwriter was raised both cutting wood for his chores and his teeth playing bars with his eyes set on a bigger stage. With black & white fridge door pictures of his great-grandpa Larry Elmo working stellar crowds sporting overalls and a fiddle, and parents who sang to him since he was in diapers, Alger was constantly exposed to all kinds of music. Ultimately, it was that traditional 90’s country twang that truly resonated. |
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Not Quite BrothersJune 28, 2023 Not Quite Brothers is Central Iowa’s fastest growing cover band. Formed in 2018, the band quickly became known for their huge sound, eclectic setlist and ability to enhance any party. Fans of all ages agree… “It feels like I am watching the band they are covering in their heyday” and “It’s so cool to see a younger generation playing my favorite songs on stage instead of overweight boomers in cargo shorts.” Sam Johnson (vocals) and Isaac Johnson (guitar) are twins and although Cooper Corcoran (guitar), Ben Schmelzer (drums) and Blake Marsh (bass) are of no relation to each other, these five fellas are as tight as brothers… but not quite. |
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Reverend Raven & His Chain Smokin' Alter Boys featuring Westside Andy on HarmonicaJuly 5, 2023
Bringing crowds to their feet at the hardest to please and sophisticated nightclubs in the Midwest, Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin Altar Boys play traditional blues, straight up with a big dose of passion. With smoking grooves, served up with hot harmonica and smooth stinging guitar they play original songs peppered with nods to Slim Harpo, Little Walter, Jimmy Rogers, Billy Boy Arnold, Junior Wells and the three Kings. Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, the Rev has been playing the blues since 1971 when he first saw Freddy King play at the Kinetic Theatre in Chicago. After a 15 year hitch in the Navy, Chief Raven moved to Milwaukee where he began a long friendship and collaboration with Madison Slim, long time harmonica player for Jimmy Rogers. |
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Ritchie Lee & The Fabulous FiftiesJuly 12, 2023
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Eli GardinerJuly 19, 2023
Eli Gardiner is a songwriter from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, currently located in Minneapolis Minnesota. Coming off the 2020 release of his album, The Fire and The Medicine, he formed his full band composed of drummer Greg Schutte (Mickey Hart, Ryan Bingham) lap steel/electric guitarist Dan Schwartz, keyboardist Kevin Gamble and bassist Nick Salisbury (Ryan Bingham, Brian Fallon). The upcoming live album, LIVE IN MINNEAPOLIS was recorded on a cold night in February at The Aster Cafe by Alchemy Audio. A few of the songs are live versions from the latest album, “Boat at Sea”, “Mountain”, “Villain”and “The Right And The Wrong”. This album also has a handful of new songs that have never been released. The groovy “Bad Weed”, “I’m like a bad weed, I’m growing all the time” a song about being stubborn and growing through bad life circumstances. “Flatlands” written while Eli was living in an old farmhouse in Iowa, paints a picture of midwest poverty and tornadoes. And “Saints Among Us” , the most recently written song, “how do you see the world when it turns to dust…Saints among us” lays out an optimistic view in the face of a crumbling world. |
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The Meditations with Irie Sol
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Dos SantosAugust 2, 2023 Dos Santos is a Chicago-based alt-Latinx band known for their powerful live performance and their progressive compositional layering of various Latin/American musics. The core band consists of drummer Daniel Villarreal, percussionist Peter “Maestro” Vale, bassist Jaime Garza, guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Nathan Karagianis, and multi- instrumentalist/singer/lyricist Alex Chavez. |
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Dickie with Joel Sires & Jacob Lampman
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Bridgid's Cross
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