This week on The Setlist, Pieta Brown and Peter Mayer make the trip up north, Aurora Baer begins her going-away series and Between Howls and Kitchi Boogie make stops on Highway 2.
Eclectic duo Between Howls is playing Rapids Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids this Friday at 6 p.m. Ren and Nick Howl are both talented singers and instrumentalists, with Ren on violin and Nick on guitar, and their live shows have the energy and sound of a full band. After many years in the band One Less Guest, the Duluth duo released their debut Between Howls album, Cabin Fever, in 2025.
In Aitkin, Aurora Baer is playing at the Ripple Center at 7 p.m. Friday. The show is billed as The Anthology of Aurora: Side A, and is the first half of two going-away shows the folk, rock and punk artist is playing. Baer, who will be moving to the Twin Cities in the coming months, has a deep catalogue of songs to draw from and has been a big part of the Aitkin music boom over the last few years. Side B will take place on May 8.
One more Friday show is folk singer-songwriter Pieta Brown playing the Grassroots Concert Series at 7 p.m. at the Journey Church in Nisswa. Brown released her debut album back in 2002 and has made high-quality melancholic folk-blues and indie-folk ever since, with her latest album, Freeway, arriving in 2019. She dropped a new single with her husband Bo Ramsey in November 2025 called "Out of the Dark." Joining her in Nisswa are a pair of talented and in-demand session players, Liz Draper (bass) and Jeremy Ylvisaker (guitar).
On to Saturday, longtime Minnesota folksinger Peter Mayer is playing at the Chief Theater in Bemidji at 7 p.m. Now based in Stillwater, Mayer has performed in Minnesota for over 30 years in the classic folk tradition. He has released 11 albums, and his songs have been covered by artists like Kathy Mattea and David Wilcox. Joining Mayer at the Chief Theater will be local group The Bemidji Justice Singers.
Then at 8 p.m. Saturday, Kitchi Boogie is making a stop at Logjammerz in Cass Lake. A four-piece roots-rock and jam-funk band from Pennington, Kitchi Boogie features KAXE's volunteer "Dead Set" host Papa Steve Ross on bass. They put out the album, Airconditioned Fish House, in 2021.
Friday, April 10
- Between Howls - 6 p.m., Rapids Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, free
- Aurora Baer - 7 p.m., Ripple Center, Aitkin, $10
- Pieta Brown with Liz Draper and Jeremy Ylvisaker - 7 p.m., Journey Church, Nisswa, $15 (adult), $5 (under 12)
Saturday, April 11
- Peter Mayer and The Bemidji Justice Singers - 7 p.m., Chief Theater, Bemidji, $15
- Kitchi Boogie - 8 p.m., Logjammerz, Cass Lake, free
Events this week include the Classic Movie Series in Bigfork, Train Days in Bemidji and a photo presentation on Argentina in Brainerd.
The weekly live music spotlight is made possible by the citizens of Minnesota through the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
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