The Finnish American brass band Ameriikan Poijat (Boys of America) has scheduled a series of concerts in southern Minnesota this summer. The Finnish ethnic brass band will visit Randolph, Nerstrand, Northfield, Owatonna, and New Prague during the last week of July. Two of their performances will be in Northfield during VBF 2026.
Poijat, with players based in Minnesota, has traveled widely, with performances is most Midwestern states, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Massachusetts, Canada, and Finland. Poijat’s 2026 program will consist of a mixture of concert pieces and old-time dance music, and American music observing the 250th Anniversary.
Ameriikan Poijat was founded in 1990 by Dr. Paul Niemisto. The band has played performances in some rather unusual settings, such as in an ice arena, in fishing boats on the Finnish Perhojoki river, on a raft in an abandoned mine, at Finnish border defense installations, at a McDonnell-Douglas military aircraft plant, in a Wisconsin cow pasture, on a Florida beach, at an instrument museum, in a barn, and in a one room schoolhouse. It’s not that they have exclusively sought out bizarre venues, but a seven-piece group is very mobile, and the Finnish brass music they celebrate seems to have drawn them off the beaten path at times.
Poijat’s members are all Minnesota residents and some are of Finnish descent. They have been sharing the charm of the old Finnish brass band music and have also performed the newer compositions for septet that have proliferated recently. Their main inspiration has been from brass playing colleagues and friends in Finland who have also been keeping the tradition alive and generously sharing their experience with us about this music. The Finnish brass septet repertoire is meaningful ethnic art and has an inherent musicality that is attractive to many listeners.
Ameriikan Poijat will perform on the Bridge Square Stage in Northfield on Friday, July 31 at 2:00pm and at Tanzenwald Brewing in Northfield at 5:00pm. For the rest of the Poijat tour schedule, visit https://ameriikanpoijat.org/.
