Finally gonna get it? Civic announces Down by the Riverside lineup

John Molseed, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·3 min read
1

May 23—ROCHESTER — The lineup for the 2023 Down by the Riverside concert series stretches genres, decades and features a do-over from a rainout last year.

En Vogue, the chart topping funky divas were set to play at Mayo Park in August last year when some funky weather forced organizers to cancel the show.

Also on the list of performers are a classic psychedelic rock band, a rising star teen who has already garnered millions of fans, a 1990s band whose hits most people have heard on the radio even if they can't name the band.

The free concert series is sponsored by

Think Bank

and presented in partnership with the

City of Rochester

and

Rochester Parks & Recreation.

Eve 6 formed in Southern California in 1995 and named their group in reference to an episode of the X-Files. You don't get more 1990s than that.

The group enjoyed heavy radio rotation in the 1990s and 2000s.

"Even if you don't know their name, you know their songs, you've heard them," said Avital Rabinowitz, director of Civic Music. "All millennials, Gen-Xers, I'm calling on you to show up."

Winterstate, a Minnesota alternative rock band founded by Berklee College of Music alumni Kelvin Killmon and Alexander Ortberg opens the show.

Minnesota music night features the charismatic, honest and soulful sounds of Charlie Parr. Parr's talent and determination to curate a fun show are matched only by his humility.

The Austin, Minnesota, folk, country and blues performer has gained national acclaim but

has remained rooted to keeping his music and aspirations grounded.

His style, sound and demeanor will provide the perfect atmosphere for live music under the trees on a summer night, Rabinowitz said.

Alternative rock and honky tonk band the Walking Beat, based in Rochester by way of Detroit, opens the show.

Avery Anna is a rising country music artist and Arizona native who began singing at 10 years old. Before turning 20, she garnered a production deal and millions of fans via one part social media presence and one part talent.

Rabinowitz said Civic Music is excited to introduce the young artist to a Rochester crowd. The department has had a track record of success booking young female country performers on the upswing of their career, she added.

Minneapolis folk group Maygen & The Birdwatcher, which earned wins for Album of the Year and Americana Artist of the Year at the Midwest Country Music Organization's annual awards show in Arnolds Park, Iowa, opens the show.

Vanilla Fudge is a classic American psychedelic rock band known for their slow, extended heavy rock arrangements of contemporary hit songs, such as their hit cover of the Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On." The group has been around more than 50 years but rarely tours, Rabinowitz said. Their rock and jam sound will appeal to a wide audience, she added.

Blues rock band Jimmi and the Band of Souls opens the show.

What a band, what a band, what a mighty good band. It will be "take two" for the legendary funky divas of the 1990s and 2000s, En Vogue. Storms forced Civic Music organizers to cancel the band's performance last year.

"We hate canceling shows," Rabinowitz said. "The whole team was crushed to have to cancel it last year."

FènixDion, who was set to open for En Vogue last year is back on the bill, which is what Rabinowitz said she was hoping to make happen this year.

"I think people forget it's disappointing for the artists too," she said.