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The Setlist: Where to hear live music Aug. 14-16, 2025

KAXE | By Malachy Koons
Published August 13, 2025 at 3:53 PM CDT
"The Setlist" and "Grand Rapids, Park Rapids, Hibbing, Bemidji" written over a crumpled paper background.
Maria Hileman
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KAXE
Live music taking place Aug. 14-16, 2025 in Northern Minnesota.

KAXE's weekly list of concerts near you features Ditty Wish with Studio62, Forge North, Mines & Pines Revisited Art & Music Fest, and No Rest for the Pickers.

Not long after Rockbee Music and Camping, another music festival with a great lineup comes to Hibbing, plus old-time, folk-rock, and a singer-songwriter with a new band is on The Setlist this week.

Singer-songwriter Ditty Wish will be at Rapids Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids this Thursday with the horn section of local band Studio62. She recently released her debut EP, Songs About Home, in May. Music begins at 6 p.m.

At the same time, Americana-jam group Forge North are playing the 2nd St. Stage in downtown Park Rapids. Their sound mixes folk, country and rock with songs from lead singer Charley Wagner. He also just dropped a new solo album called Finding Home.

The Mines & Pines Art & Music Fest is this Friday and Saturday at Bennett Park in Hibbing. Both days, the music begins early at 10 a.m. and runs until 6 p.m. The Friday lineup is MorningBird, Brian & John Lindula, Beauty Mountain Rd. and Rich Mattson and the Northstars. Saturday's is WYILDCHILD, Greg Tiburzi, Aurora Baer and Annie Humphrey.

Finally, Lake Bemidji State Park's Music Under The Pines series continues Saturday night at 7 p.m. with No Rest for the Pickers. They are an old-time trio that play bluegrass, Cajun, blues and other forms of American folk music.

A chicken that earned a Grand Champion ribbon is on display at the Itasca County Fair on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, in Grand Rapids.
Conversation
Events Up North Aug. 12-17: Itasca County Fair, Bemidji vocal competition
August is in full swing throughout Northern Minnesota. There's lots to do throughout the region, including roller skating in Coleraine, a cornhole tournament in Brainerd and bat walk in McGregor.

Thursday, Aug. 14

  • Ditty Wish with Studio62 - 6 p.m., Rapids Brewing, Grand Rapids, free
  • Forge North - 6 p.m., 2nd St. Stage, Park Rapids, free

Friday, Aug. 15

  • Mines & Pines Day 1 - 10 a.m., Bennett Park, Hibbing, free
    Four members of a band kneel in a grassy field.
    AppleTree Photography
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    morningbirdsings.com
    Jim Pietila, Shane Kingsland, Jill Burkes and Josh Palmi of MorningBird.

Saturday, Aug. 16

  • Mines & Pines Day 2 - 10 a.m., Bennett Park, Hibbing, free
  • No Rest for the Pickers - 7 p.m., Lake Bemidji State Park, Bemidji, free

The weekly live music spotlight is made possible by the citizens of Minnesota through the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
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Minnesota Music The SetlistMade Possible by the Minnesota Arts & Culture Heritage FundKAXE
Malachy Koons
Malachy started his radio career in 2017 at a college radio station, where he played weird music in the middle of the night to possibly no one. On a good night maybe his parents were listening. Nonetheless, he was hooked on public radio and is still doing it today.


He joined Northern Community Radio in 2022, where he gets to share his passion for local music as Producer of Minnesota Mixtape, an all Minnesota music show airing Fridays at 10 a.m. and Saturdays at 3 p.m. You can also find him hosting Headwaters and curating The Setlist.
See stories by Malachy Koons