LUTSEN — This year's event is the third Lutsong Music Festival, and it was started by three people: Scott Schuler, Molly Maher and Chuck Corliss.
One night, Schuler and Maher were hanging out around a campfire on the shores of Lake Superior when Schuler said, “How do we share this magic? It's such a beautiful thing.”
With Maher’s experience in Minneapolis music and Schuler having some festival experience, together with Corliss, they decided they were going to figure out how to make it work.
“I would say what Lutsong Music Festival is creating is community around music in nature,” Maher said.
With this being the third one, the festival has grown in its reputation. People have reacted positively to not only the music, but the atmosphere as well.
Maher said, “I was invited to go play a house concert for [an attendee] and her friends and she got up and spoke about Lutsong and ... she said, ‘You know, I didn't even know the artists, but I just trusted the curators that it’s going to be something that's going to appeal to everybody.’
"And that meant a lot. That felt like, OK, all right, it's working.”
It’s not just fans who appreciate what the experience at Lutsong is like, but the musicians as well. Some musicians have expressed interest in playing it again.
“And that's kind of the highest compliment, to have them just support us the way they do and spread the word,” Schuler said.
Maher and Schuler are excited for this year’s lineup, which can be found on their website. The festival opens with the Stonebridge Singers on Friday. Schuler is particularly excited for Joe Pug, who will play the main stage Friday night.
“He was somebody we wanted and chose an international songwriter that most people that love singer-songwriters are definitely going to know," Schuler said. "And to get him is just a big win for us.”
The artist selection process is a group effort. There’s a shared note file the three founders have access to where they add artists they think would be a great fit for the festival. The planning process for the next festival begins the day after the last performance.
Art also plays a role in the Lutsong Music Festival. There will be a potter, printmakers and a bag-maker. Greg Mueller, a metal sculptor, does a "Lutsong Burn" every year.
“We give him free rein and we have no idea what he's doing," Schuler said. " ... We'll see what it is this year, but he burns something brightly.” This kickstarts the campfires for the night as well.
Attendees can hike in the woods with singer-songwriter Sarah Morris, where she will perform a mini concert. There will be forays into the forest for mushrooms and to forage other wild foods, and Sunday, a brunch will be accompanied by music.
Maher describes Lutsong’s atmosphere as feeling like you’re at camp. “For me, I find myself like in my Crocs and my Carhartts. It's just super chill ... People can bring their dogs, kids under 12 get in free, so there's like a really nice family vibe.”
Schuler adds, “Without [community] we'd be struggling, because there's so many community volunteers that help us pull this thing off that are on our gates and helping us out. So, it starts with them.”
Another highlight of the festival is the get-together around a bonfire after the last artist plays on the main stage. Schuler said, “It's just a magical time to sit around and have a couple 100 people watching people play songs on a campfire and passing guitar around.” It feels appropriate to the founders, too, because that’s how the festival idea started.
Tickets are available for the Lutsong Music Festival going on Thursday, July 18, through Sunday, July 21, at their website. A free community kickoff event will be Thursday night.
Tell us about upcoming arts events where you live in Northern Minnesota by emailing psa@kaxe.org.
Area Voices is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
