FRIDAY, MAY 12
ย Doors: 5pm Show: 7pm
SMA, Utepils Brewing andย The Currentย present Live at Utepils featuring The Wood Brothers and special guest Shovels & Rope on Friday, May 12th atย Utepils!ย ย Live at Utepils offers live music fans an amazing outdoor concert experience onsite at Utepils Brewing, nestled on the beautiful banks of Bassett Creek right between Downtown Minneapolis and Theodore Wirth Parkway. It isย returning for a second year, and SMA is so excited to partner again with the team at Utepils to bring extraordinary live music to a unique venue in Minneapolis!
TICKETS ARE ON SALE FRIDAY, JANUARY 27 at 10AM!
VIP Package:ย VIP ticket includes exclusive viewing of the stage, two complimentary drink tickets and VIP bar access.
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Aboutย The Wood Brothers
The Wood Brothers have learned to trust their hearts. For the better part of two decades, theyโve cemented their reputation as free-thinking songwriters, road warriors and community builders, creating a catalog of diverse music and a loyal audience whoโve grown alongside them through the years. That evolution continues withย Heart is the Hero, the bandโs eighth studio album. Recorded analog to 16-track tape, this latest effort finds its three creators embracing the chemistry of their acclaimed live shows by capturing their performances in real-time direct from the studio floor with nary a computer in sight. An acoustic-driven album that electrifies,ย Heart is the Heroย is stocked with songs that target not only the heart, but the head and hips, too.
Throughoutย Heart Is The Hero, those performances are matched by the visceral storytelling and songwriting chops that have turned The Wood Brothers into Grammy-nominated leaders of American roots music, even as their music reaches far beyond the genreโs borders. The stripped-down swagger of โPilgrimโ underscores Oliverโs reminder to slow down and experience each moment as an interactive observer, rather than a passive tourist. A similar theme anchors โBetween the Beats,โ where Oliver draws upon a meditation technique โ maintaining oneโs focus on the space between heartbeats โ to reach a new level of presence. The gentle sway of country soul gem โRollinโ On,โ featuring horns by Matt Glassmeyer and Roy Agee, expounds on the time-honored tradition of love as the guiding light through darkness, while โMean Man Worldโ finds Chris Wood singing about his responsibilities as a father whose young daughter is poised to inherit an uncertain future. โLine Those Pocketsโ is a universal call for mercy and understanding over materialism. โEverybodyโs just trying to be happy, so put your money away; line those pockets with grace,โ the band sings in three-part harmony during the songโs chorus, which emphasizes compassion over cash as the worldโs true currency. Together, these songs offer a snapshot of a spirited, independent-minded group at the peak of its powers, always pushing forward and seeking to evolve beyond whatโs come before.
โThereโs still acoustic guitar, upright bass, and percussion on this album โ things people use all the time โ but weโre always thinking, โHow can we make this sound like us, but not like something weโve already done?'โ Oliver says. โSometimes, the only way to do that is to get weird.โ
That sense of exploration pumps its way through Heart is the Hero like lifeblood. Arriving on the heels of 2019โsย Live at The Fillmore, 2020โsย Kingdom In My Mind, and Oliver Woodโs solo albumย Always Smilinโย โ all of which were released on Honey Jar Records, the bandโs independent label โย Heart is the Heroย is bold, bright, and singularly creative, a fully realized collective effortย ultimatelyย greaterย thanย theย sumย ofย itsย parts.ย Perhapsย thatโsย toย beย expectedย fromย aย groupย whoseย willingnessย toย experimentย hasย earnedย acclaimย fromย Rollingย Stoneย andย NPR,ย asย wellย asย anย annualย touringย scheduleย ofย soldโoutย musicย hallsย andย theatersย onย bothย sidesย ofย theย Atlantic.ย Askย Theย Woodย Brothers,ย though,ย andย theyโllย tellย youย toย expectย theย unexpected.
โWeย areย neverย satisfiedย ifย weย areย notย searchingย forย newย musicalย recipes,โย saysย Janoย Rix,ย noddingย toย theย unchartedย territoryย thatย Heartย isย theย Heroย covers.ย Chrisย Woodย agrees,ย adding,ย โWeย areย oneย ofย thoseย bandsย thatย isnโtย easilyย categorized.ย Weย knowย whatย ourย strengthsย are,ย butย weย canโtย helpย butย pushย theย envelope,ย asย well.ย Itโsย tooย muchย fun.โ
It has been more than ten years since Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent released their debut albumย Oโ Be Joyful, and that decade has seen the release of six full-length albums, three collaborative covers albums (Busted Jukebox Volumes 1-3), a curated music festival in their hometown of Charleston, SC (High Water), a musical film (Shovels & Rope: The Movie) and countless dynamic live performances all over the planet.
Aboutย Live at Utepils
This event is part ofย Live at Utepils, an outdoor concert series presented in partnership with SMA.
Live at Utepils (pronounced โOOH-ta-pilzโ) takes place in the parking lot of Utepils Brewing, a full scale European-style craft brewery and taproom, nestled on the banks of Bassett Creek between the Harrison & Bryn Mawr neighborhoods of Minneapolis.
The Wood Brothers have partnered withย American Friends of Canadian Conservationย so that $1 per ticket will support The Nature Trust of British Columbia (NTBC) in their efforts to conserve ecologically-rich wetlands and protect irreplaceable land from development. Every $1 donated will be matched by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with $2 so more endangered wetlands can be saved. If youโd like to learn more, please visitย conservecanada.org.
Event FAQs:
- This is a Rain or Shine Event.
- All Ages are welcome; children 2 and under are free with a paid adult.
- Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase from local food trucks and vendors, and those over 21 will be able to purchase Utepils beer on tap.
- There will be a designated smoking area.
- No re-admittance.
- Attendees are encouraged to carpool, ride-share, or bike to this event. Limited parking is available nearby and ticket-purchasers will be emailed with additional parking and general concert information closer to the show.
- The following items are not permitted:
- Lawn chairs
- Blankets
- Pets (service animals only)
- Outside food andย beverages
- Weapons or firearms
- Backpacks or large bags*
- All bags will be checked by security upon entrance. Attendees will be allowed to bring one sealed water bottle or one empty container for use at the water refilling station.
- Please contactย info@suemclean.comย with further questions.
