Friends, we had such an incredible turn out for Lakeside Guitar Festival 2022 at the historic Como Lakeside Pavilion. Thanks to you! From Keb' Mo' coming on Saturday afternoon for an intimate set to legendary James Blood Ulmer transfixing us Friday evening and all the jaw dropping performances in between. This festival was really something special spread across 3 stages. We were so blown away by your response. Fun to have Third Daughter Restless Daughter set up a great marketplace as well as our pal El Diablo hosting the always active pedal swap. Thanks to Chase Bliss for donating a pedal again to give away. LGF is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the metropolitan regional arts council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund and a St. Paul Cultural STAR grant.
See you in August 2023!
LGF is a free outdoor music festival set at the Historic Como Lakeside Pavilion for 2022, a lakefront arts oasis in the heart of St. Paul. The festival is run by community-conscious musicians focused on highlighting a diverse lineup of local and international artists, encouraging new artistic collaboration, and highlighting the world class music and business community of Minnesota.
Lakeside Guitar Festival 2022 is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Friday Aug 12
Promenade Stage
6:00-7:00 Javier Trejo’s Caballo Cosmico
7:30-8:30 James Blood Ulmer
8:30-9:30 Pat Donohue and the Prairie All-Stars
Saturday Aug 13
11:00-4:00- Pop up market hosted by Third Daughter Restless Daughter
Grand Lawn
10:30-12:00 El Diablo Pedal Swap
11:00-11:45 “Strum Along/Sing a Song” led by Kith + Kin Chorus
Promenade Stage
12:00-12:45 Galactic Cowboy Orchestra
1:00-1:45 Pit Stop
2:00-2:45 Turn Turn Turn
3:00-3:50 Keb’ Mo’
Cafe Stage (inside Dock&Paddle)
11:15-12:00 Honeybutter (CANCELLED)
12:15-1:00 David Harland
1:15-2:00 Wanaku
2:15-3:00 Twin Town Strings
Waterfall Stage
10:00-10:45 Mark Anderson “The Urban Monk” guided meditation
11:00-11:45 Paul Metzger Improvised Modern Banjo
12:00-3:00 Erik Fratzke “Bass and Brass Bash”
Gates Close at 4:15
6:00-9:00 The Last Waltz (ticketed show)
2022 LGF Lineup and Schedule
Friday Aug 12th 2022
Friday Aug 12th 6:00-7:00pm Promenade Stage
Javier Trejo’s Caballo Cosmico Formed by Javier Trejo, local singer, songwriter, guitarist in 2021. The concept of Caballo Cósmico actually began in 1953 when a little Mexican child crossed the border of Texas into the United States.
Friday Aug 12th 7:30-8:30pm - Promenade Stage
James "Blood" Ulmer - has been a jazz icon for nearly 50 years. His highly individualistic music is an amalgam of the diverse influences he has encountered since, as a child in South Carolina where he taught himself guitar and began singing in a gospel group. As the leader of various small groups over the years, Ulmer has made a substantial international impact and has been described by Down Beat writer Larry Birnbaum as a cross between Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and Mike Bloomfield. International Musician has hailed Ulmer as probably the most innovative, creative guitarist/composer on the scene today.
Friday Aug 12th 8:30-9:30pm Promenade Stage
Pat Donohue and the Prairie All-Stars -Pat Donohue and the Prairie All-Stars bring together a wide-ranging blend of music that feels comfortable, like and old friend. From folk to the blues and everywhere in between, these guys radiate joy and happiness.
Saturday Aug 13th 2022
Saturday Aug 13th 11:00-4:00 Inside Promenade
Third Daughter Restless Daughter- Wide variety of talented local makers of art, jewelry, gifts and more located inside the promenade.
Saturday Aug 13th 10:00-10:45 Waterfall Stage
Marc Anderson "The Urban Monk" - Marc Anderson is the founder and director of The Urban Monk Project. He’s an accomplished musician, a teacher with an academic background in cultural anthropology, a poet, a world-traveler and an ordained priest in the Soto lineage of Zen Buddhism. Sponsored by Neal Casal Foundation in support of mental health awareness for musicians
Saturday Aug 13th 10:30-12:00 Promenade Stage
LGF 3rd Annual Gear Swap, sponsored by El Diablo Amps and Guitars. Gather your unused/unloved gear and swap them out for something new and exciting! Trade with your fellow Twin Cities pedal junkies, or trade with El Diablo himself! This event is free and open to the public. Register for a chance to win a FREE Chase Bliss Audio pedal! For more info, visit the El Diablo Amps Facebook Page
Saturday Aug 13th 11:00am Waterfall Stage
Paul Metzger - Improvised on Modified Banjo, elegant with rustic audacity (ethereal)
Saturday Aug 13th CANCELLED
Honeybutter- with the velvety romance of old cinema, they mix Brazilian guitar, honeyed vocals and homemade percussion to make music that’s earth-bound and timeless.
Saturday Aug 13th 11:15-11:45am Promenade Stage
Gather up/tune up 11:00 Strum Along/Sing a Song 11:15-11:45
All levels invited to create this giant community strum along! Bring your guitar and strum along to a couple songs or chords alongside your fellow humans. Sing along! (any stringed instrument accepted even air guitars!)
Kith + Kin Chorus -an uncommon choir in the twin cities, strives to build community, spread joy and give in service of others through harmony.
Saturday Aug 13th 12:00-12:45pm Promenade Stage
Galactic Cowboy Orchestra was started in 2009 by founding member/bass player John Wright. The band was born out of a desire to play technically challenging music derived from John’s influences ranging from Mahavishnu Orchestra, The Dixie Dregs and King Crimson, to name a few.
Saturday Aug 13th 12:00-3:00 Waterfall Stage
Erik Fratzke “Bass and Brass Bash” -Bass & Brass Bash explores novel sonic combinations of electric basses and select instruments from the brass family. Periodically the musicians will be stationed around the landscape of the Como Park Waterfall to add a spatial element to our improvisational performance.
Saturday Aug 13th 12:15-1:00 Cafe Stage
David Harland- a singer/songwriter and fingerstyle guitarist who believes music, at its best, holds the power to reach the deepest parts of our lives and makes the world a better place.
Saturday Aug 13th 2:00-2:50 Promenade Stage
Turn Turn Turn- a trio who bonded over their mutual love of close harmony 60s and 70s country, folk, and pop music and formed an original Americana band.
Saturday Aug 13th 2:15-3:00 Cafe Stage
Twin Town Strings- a duo collaboration between banjo player Pete Hennig and guitarist Joel Shapira.
Saturday Aug 13th 6:00-9:00 Promenade Stage
This is a ticketed show
Come and sip the wine….
History of LGF: Founded in 2013 with major backing by McNally-Smith Collage of Music and help from the STAR grant. Chris Osgood ( punk rock guitar slinger, scenester and all around angel of arts ) asked that Molly put together an afternoon of guitar hero music that would bring folks of all ages and genre loving music fans to Mears Park in the heart of the warehouse district of St. Paul . Under the dynamic guidance of Chris and the many hats he wears, Lowertown Guitar Festival, the big FREE fest was born.
Not only was it 8 hours of exceptional guitar skills spanning 2-3 stages, it also included free workshops in the morning at McNally-Smith covering technical skills like guitar effects, tone and other more gear focus topics.The college hosted a teen guitar seminar in the morning, culminating in a teen guitar challenge at the site starting at noon where kids had an opportunity to shred and compete for gear donated by major manufacturers like Fender and Martin Guitars. Over the years we have added a "market place”, and in 2016 included a luthier's showcase.
2018 found us at the historic Como Lakeside Pavilion, a venue that hit many high notes for our growing team. Todd Clouser came aboard providing added support and a broader reach. We were able to keep the festival free, adding another stage, more vendors and a covered area from the elements keeping us outdoors.
Sponsors Include :
McNally-Smith College of Music
True Center Group