Category Archives: VBF News

Brass Messengers to play an evening set at VBF 2023

Brass Messengers are a Minneapolis street band playing mostly original music inspired by global sources.  The BMs formed from the annual rubble of of the Heart of the Beast Mayday Parade and Ceremony in Minneapolis.  The musical origins were found in the music of Africa, the Carribean and Balkans, but now the BMs play whatever works, throwing in a country song to the crying drinkers, a high speed polka or two for the midwest dancers, running in circles with the little ones, activating gatherings of our activist kin or a bit of Black Sabbath for the metal crowd.   But mostly, it is an original music that rises from the heart of the band that can only be described as a homegrown Minneapolis street music sound.

The Messengers play stages large and small, events from parties to bars, large theaters to street parades and funerals.  The Mess have been a part of the HONK community for nine years running, attending more than ten HONK festivals in Sommerville, Seattle and Austin, TX.

Vintage Band Festival 2023 will take place on Saturday, July 29,. 2023 in Northfield, Minnesota’s Bridge Square. Brass Messengers will take the stage at 7:15 pm.

The Red Bull Band returns to Vintage Band Festival

The 34th Infantry Division Band of the United States Army is returning to Northfield for Vintage Band Festival 2023. “The Red Bull Band” has performed at VBF several times in the past and we’re delighted to have them back.

The band is stationed in Rosemount, Minnesota and is currently assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota National Guard. The mission of the 34th Infantry Division Band is to provide music throughout the spectrum of military operations to instill in soldiers the will to fight and win, foster the support of citizens and promote the national interests of the United States at home and abroad.

Officially organized 30 April 1900, the 34th Infantry Division Band has proudly served state and nation for over 114 years, seeing service in WWI, WWII and the Global War on Terrorism. Whether performing for the public, supporting military ceremonies, or entertaining US Service members and our allies the Soldier-Musicians of the Red Bull Band are honored to serve in one of the US Army’s most respected Divisions.

Vintage Band Festival 2023 will be on Saturday, July 29, 2023. The Red Bull Band performs at 11:00 am.

The Northfield City Band of 1917

In the VBF 2022 Official Program, the Northfield Historical Society placed an ad with a picture of a community band from the early 20th century. The bass drum in the picture had the words “Northfield Minnesota City Band” painted on it. No one on the VBF board had ever seen the photograph before and a couple of members decided to track down the provenance of the photo and the occasion for which the band posed for the photographer. The photograph was found on the Northfield-Rice County History Collection, a digital collaboration by nearly 20 Rice County entities with archival collections, including the Northfield Historical Society.

Jeff Sauve, the curator of the Northfield Historical Society at the time, gave the VBF Marketing Committee permission to use the photograph and the decision was subsequently made to put it on the cover of the 2023 Official Program.

According to the Northfield News of June 24, 1980, the band in the photograph was chosen to play at the Grandstand of the Minnesota State Fair, about 1917. The photograph was taken outside the grandstand. The band members were identified as follows: Left to right, front row: Pete Johnson, Art Sunde, Merril Lawrence, George Mohn, Hjalmar Berge, Lawrence Emmons, Leonard Obrech, Eugene Lee, Lester Batson, Carl Gulbrandson, Robert Babcock, Norman Lende, George LaPointe; back row: Bernard Gimmestad, Roy Palmer, Theodore Carel, Roman Berke, Pat Brown, Al Haue, William Dunn, unidentified, Leon Neulen, Walter Fink, Earl Page and Harry Emmons.

Thanks to Jeff Sauve and the Northfield Historical Society for allowing us to use the photograph in our 2023 marketing efforts.

Help the VBF spring fund drive reach its goal

We are nearing the end of our spring fund drive. The goal for the 2023 festival is $15,000 and we are getting closer to achieving that every day, but we’re not quite there yet. We need to reach that goal by June 16 in order to ensure we have the means to meet our budget needs for VBF 2023.

Have you made a contribution yet? Thanks to all of those folks that have. If you haven’t, there’s still time. Go to the VBF home page (www.vintagebandfestival.org) and click on the big green “Donate” button. Checks can be sent to Vintage Band Festival, 204 W. 7th Street #130, Northfield, MN 55057.

Thanks for your support!

The Alphorns return: May I Alp You?

On and off over the years, Vintage Band Festival audiences have enjoyed the music of a small group of alphorn players in southern Minnesota. Alphorns have a history rooted in the mountains of Europe, particularly in Switzerland. This year, the alphorns will be returning to Northfield to the delight of all.

On a typical beautiful evening during spring, summer or fall, Ralph and Mary Brindle can be found playing alphorns somewhere … at home, at local parks, in the BWCA, in the mountains, even out in the snow while snowshoeing! Mary & Ralph play for outdoor weddings, Swiss Independence celebrations, and special occasions upon request. Active musicians with a variety of musical groups in the Twin Cities, Ralph and Mary began playing alphorn in 2004 are excited to bring some alphorn serendipity to the Vintage Band Festival!

Watch for the alphorns along Division Street on July 29 with multiple stops during the day between 2nd Street and 6th Street in front of coffee houses, restaurants and the public library.

Vintage Band Festival announces Wenger Foundation gift

The Wenger Foundation has been a financial supporter of Vintage Band Festival since the festival’s inception in 2006. Recently, the Foundation ended its 40-year mission of supporting arts organizations in the state of Minnesota. In a letter sent to Vintage Band Festival explaining this development in its philanthropic life cycle, the Wenger Foundation also enclosed a very generous check for $20,000. This was a completely unforeseen gift from our lovely friends in Crystal Bay, Minnesota.

Wendy Wenger Dankey, a member of the Foundation’s board of directors, explained, “It has been a great run as an arts funder and as a family foundation, but all things change over time and we have reached our finale. I really send our good wishes for a sustainable and successful future! We really do hope you have many more years of successful Festivals!”

It can honestly be said that without the many years of support from the Wenger Foundation, Vintage Band Festival would not have continued beyond the first festival in 2006. The support came not only in the consistent funding, but also in the inspiration and encouragement that the Wenger board of directors passed along to the Vintage Band Festival board of directors.

The final Wenger gift will allow Vintage Band Festival the opportunity to envision long-term financial sustainability. Stay tuned for more information about this exciting possibility in the coming days.

Vintage Band Festival on the radio

Recently, two members of the Vintage Band Festival board joined Jeff Johnson on his morning radio show to talk about Vintage Band Festival 2023 this summer on Saturday, July 29.

Dan and Randy talked about the upcoming one-day festival and the band roster for the day. Highlights include the first appearance at VBF of the Minnesota Pipes and Drums, a band that focuses on honoring Scottish musical traditions and the return of the 34th Division Regimental Band “The Red Bull Band.”

Thanks to Jeff Johnson for the opportunity to spread a little VBF love!

Listen to the complete interview at this link: https://kymnradio.net/2023/05/12/dan-bergeson-and-randall-ferguson-on-the-vintage-band-festival/

Vintage Band Festival announces lineup for the 2023 event on July 29

The music at Vintage Band Festival 2023 in Northfield, Minnesota will begin at 9:00 am and continue without interruption until 10:00 pm. Twelve bands from an array of musical genres will perform on the Wenger stage in Bridge Square throughout the day on Saturday, July 29, 2023.

One highlight of the day will be the first appearance at Vintage Band Festival of the Minnesota Pipes and Drums, a nationally recognized competition and performance bagpipe and drum corps based in Minneapolis. Their mission is “to carry on the rich history and heritage of Scottish music”.

Two bands will be returning to perform after lengthy absences: Brass Messengers and the 34th Division Regimental Band, “The Red Bull Band”. Brass Messengers is a street band from Minneapolis whose music originated in the Balkans, Africa and the Caribbean and the band last performed at Vintage Band Festival in 2010. The Red Bull Band is the musical cohort of the 34th Infantry Division of the United States Army, “The Red Bulls”, and currently part of the Minnesota National Guard. They have been deployed on missions around the world and last performed at Vintage Band Festival in 2019.

Other musical traditions represented at Vintage Band Festival 2023 will be New Orleans-style brass, German brass, an all-trumpet choir, a mariachi band, British-style brass, Mexican banda music, and a swinging big band to round out the evening.

Sharing Bridge Square with Vintage Band Festival 2023 is Riverwalk Market Fair. Every Saturday from May -October this weekly gathering features local artists selling their wares including pottery, jewelry, carved wood, granite charcuterie boards, and more. A rich array of local food is available and farmers will be offering products such as organically grown vegetables, seasonal jams, freshly baked breads, yarn spun from their own sheep’s wool, and goat milk soap.

Vintage Band Festival 2023 is free and open to the public. A blanket or folding chair is highly recommended for comfort. Stop by for an hour or stay for the day!

For the complete schedule of performances and important updates, visit www.vintagebandfestival.org. For more information about Northfield, visit www.visitnorthfield.com.

Vintage Band Festival receives SEMAC grant

 

Last month Vintage Band Festival received a $10,000 grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council in support of the forthcoming one-day festival in 2023. We are honored to have our application approved and grateful

The intended use of the grant is to build on the efforts made in the summer of 2022 to assist seniors with safe transportation to and from the outdoor venues at Vintage Band Festival and seating during the performances. Several other community partners worked with VBF on this project and the hope is that they will do so again next summer. These partners included the Northfield Retirement Community, Three Links Care Center, Benedictine Living Communities, the City of Northfield, and Age-Friendly Northfield.

Other Rice County  recipients of SEMAC grants in the most recent cycle include: Cannon Valley Regional Orchestra, Carleton College, Northfield Arts Guild, Northfield Healthy Community Initiative, Northfield Troubadors, and Paradise Center for the Arts.

In November 2008, Minnesotans passed the clean water, land, and legacy amendment to the Minnesota Constitution.  As a result, over the next twenty-five years, a small portion of the state’s sales tax will be dedicated to: a clean water fund, an outdoor heritage fund, a parks and trails fund, and an arts and cultural heritage fund.

Proceeds from the arts and cultural heritage fund “may be spent only on arts, arts education and arts access and to preserve Minnesota’s history and cultural heritage.”

Tuba Christmas was a resounding success!

Saturday, December 3, was a magical day in Northfield. For the first time in three years Vintage Band Festival was again able to present Tuba Christmas to the Northfield community. 2022 is the 49th anniversary year of Tuba Christmas, an event that is now celebrated in over 300 venues throughout the world.

Nearly 50 musicians were present on the stage in Skinner Memorial Chapel on the campus of Carleton College. The chapel was filled with an appreciative audience and everyone had a smile on their with the joy of being in community again and hearing the sound of low-brass music filling the space.

One registered player was not in his chair, but his tuba was on the stage adorned with a Tuba Christmas headband and a U.S. Navy flag. Nick Borene, a graduate of Northfield High School and now serving in the Navy on the west coast, wanted to attend this year, but couldn’t, so his parents registered him and brought his tuba to the event. We were glad to welcome him in absentia!

Thanks to the members of the VBF board who were on hand to register the musicians, welcome the audience and sell music books and Tuba Christmas apparel. Thanks also to Carleton College for co-hosting and sponsoring the event for the fourth time. See you again in 2023!