MN Music Note - Ep 45 - Why Lakefront Music Fest Is About So Much More Than Music

What does it really take to pull off a music festival for 18,000 people—and why would hundreds of volunteers dedicate thousands of hours to make it happen?

Most people show up for the music. They never see the months of planning, the last-minute chaos, the sleepless nights, or the incredible community that makes it all possible.

In this episode of The Minnesota Music Note, I sat down with Michelle, Event Director of Lakefront Music Fest, and Laurie of the Prior Lake Rotary Club to go behind the scenes of one of Minnesota's biggest music festivals. From booking national headliners to navigating unpredictable weather, coordinating 2,000+ volunteers, and raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities, this conversation reveals why Lakefront Music Fest is about so much more than music.

In this episode, we talked about:
🎸 What it really takes to organize an 18,000-person music festival
🎤 How Lakefront Music Fest books artists like Billy Idol and Keith Urban
🌧️ The biggest challenges they've faced—including weather, COVID, and last-minute surprises
🤝 Why more than 2,000 volunteers come together to make the festival happen every year
💰 How every ticket sold helps fund local nonprofits and life-changing community projects
🎵 Behind-the-scenes stories from working with national touring artists
❤️ Why purpose, community, and giving back are the true heartbeat of Lakefront Music Fest

If you've ever wondered what happens before the gates open—or why this festival has become such an important part of Minnesota's music scene—you won't want to miss this conversation.

👇 Watch the full episode now, and discover the incredible story behind Lakefront Music Fest.

If you're part of the Minnesota music scene—or know someone with a story worth sharing—we'd love to hear from you. Reach out to us and let's shine a spotlight on the artists, bands, venues, and creators that make Minnesota music special.

The Minnesota Music Note is always looking for the next great guest!

Resources:
Lakefront Music Fest July 10th - 11th Tickets: lakefrontmusicfest.com 

PodcastCrew website: podcastcrew.online
The MN Music Note FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/minnesotamusicnote/

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:17

I've met you both through email and now we're meeting in person, but the audience probably doesn't know who you are. So why don't you just start by telling me who you are and kind of how you're related to the festival?

SPEAKER_01 0:26

Um I'm Michelle Jarrick. I am the event director. Um I've been a Rotarian for the last 11, 12 years, and I um volunteered at Music Fest, which is our biggest fundraiser for our club throughout those years. And then in 2018, I um uh naively volunteered to chair it. And naively. Naively. Well, you're still doing it, so we're all volunteers, um, but fell in love with the whole concept of uh the music fest and how to run it and enjoy meeting all of the new uh fun people that are every year happening. So just continue to volunteer time to make it so uh successful so we can continue helping people in our community. Nice.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

Yeah. Great. My name is Lori Hartman, and I have a little bit of tenure on Michelle with the Prior Lake Rotary Club. I actually have been a member for 35 years, and our club is about 100 members strong, and we have quite the story to tell in terms of how our success uh success has evolved over the years and so forth. And our main thing, how much we do for the extended community, because none of us get paid. We are all volunteers, and all of the money that we make goes back to other charities also. So there are quite a few organizations in Prior Lake that are very appreciative for what we do because of the help that we've been able to give them over the years.

SPEAKER_02 2:02

So why, Lori? Why have you given so much of your time over 35 years and why do you continue to do it?

SPEAKER_00 2:09

I I think it's because of what we the feedback that we get back from the community also. We do an event in October where we invite all of our volunteer organizations to come in because we pay them or give a donation to their individual charities and so forth. And it's amazing the stories that they have to tell because as they're giving the check, they tell us what it's going to be used for. And there are so many different things. I think that there are many organizations and different clubs and different activities in town that depend upon us and what we have established over the years, and they are very gracious to help us out, and we in turn return the favor.

SPEAKER_02 2:52

All right, Michelle. So kind of kind of a similar question, but how does the Lakefront Music Festival fit in? And like, why is that a big part of what you're doing?

SPEAKER_01 3:04

Oh, um, you know, it it's we're gonna be celebrating our 17th year, and it started as a free concert just um to kind of raise some funds for music festival. Um, two Rotarians really kind of love music and wanted to bring some bands in, and it was a jazz festival. Okay. We had that, we started with Johnny Lang as our thing. Um, we knew right away after our first year that we weren't gonna be able to do that without charging a little to get people in um just because of the overhead that happens.

SPEAKER_02 3:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 3:38

And that. Um, as Lloyd said, we're all volunteers, and I'm fascinated with what knowledge I have accrued over the last nine years of running this uh event and and what it's helped me personally in my um business aspect um and learning, but the fun atmosphere of music festivals and all that we um uh engage with so many different people from our talent buyer to our PR people to security to working with the city and all of that. It's such a team effort to provide um, you know, over 18,000 people in the park each night to do. So it's fun.

SPEAKER_02 4:22

18,000 people.

SPEAKER_01 4:23

Yep, we have a capacity of 18,000 um for Friday and then Saturday each night. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:30

And it's a beautiful park. Yeah, it's like front park, it's right on Prior Lake. Uh it's kind of right in the middle of the street.

SPEAKER_02 4:36

I was suspicious if there was a lake around there somewhere.

SPEAKER_01 4:38

Um yeah, and it's it's it's kind of a natural um amphitheater. Amphitheater because it has a huge hill. Nice, and that's so the it just really natural amphitheater to it.

SPEAKER_02 4:50

So take me through uh just like a step-by-step process of kind of putting something like this together.

SPEAKER_01 4:56

Yeah, so uh when I came on, we were struggling with the fact that we weren't getting our talent until like five, six weeks before our event, and we can't sell tickets very well for that. So um we made the commitment to um go out and get um one of the national talent um artists buyers, a variety attraction. And so we work with uh um a gentleman named Bill Magnon, and he works with us getting our talent um with all the different talent agencies. And so we start about 18 months before making offers, and we do rock on Friday night and Saturday night is usually country, and um we we make the offers and stuff like that, and so our goal is always to announce the weekend of the event, and then this year we are gonna be able to announce both our headliners for uh for next year. For next year, cool, which is a great feat, especially with competition all over the place in that. So um, once we get the headliners, then we can start into um how we're gonna market it to our customers. Um, we have a core group of uh loyal ones around us, um, and that's the majority of our customers, but we like to branch out um through the twin cities and across uh Wisconsin and Iowa and um North Dakota, the Dakotas, and that. And then you know, our headliners tend to have their following. So we get people from all over the United States to come in and that. So we work with them. Um, but it is interesting because then we have to work with the city on making sure because when you bring in that many people for a weekend, you got to make sure everything is good and we're not destroying the city and that. So there we have about 19 different vendors that we work with between security, PR, um, busing. So everyone uh, and that's a coordinated event to get everyone um into the park because there's no parking around. So we use the school parking lots and we bus them all in and stuff. So it's just a really big coordinated event.

SPEAKER_02 7:06

Sounds like you need an army of volunteers to put this thing together.

SPEAKER_01 7:09

Yeah, and we have one. Yeah, we have 14 committees, um, all Rotarians, um, and they've all been majority of them have all been heading their committee for 17 years. Wow. So they're all very dedicated, lovely event. And uh a lot of them don't get to see it because it takes about a week to set up. So we have to create a whole city within a city, um, between um the fencing that goes around the whole park to tents um to the stage, and that is always fascinating because that comes in on Monday morning and it's a large um, I call it a transformer because this semi comes into being the the stage.

SPEAKER_02 7:53

Interesting.

SPEAKER_01 7:54

Okay, yeah, and then putting in um in Steve Wingie's group does that and it's fascinating. And then we spend the whole week praying that we don't get rain because it's so the semi doesn't get stuck in the the park and that, and then we have has that happened, yes, okay, yes, we've had to talk about that later. Yeah, sounds like a fun story, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then um throughout the week we are building the city, putting um, we have like 19 vent food truck vendors that come in, and then uh mini tents. We have a big VIP area where you can feel very special and near the stage. And then we have a pet area that you can just stand and be uh, you know, elbow to elbow with your friends right next to the stage.

SPEAKER_02 8:42

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 8:42

And then uh Thursdays when I uh usually our Friday artists start coming in in their uh group and that they're usually traveling all night long in their buses, and then they come in and start working and getting ready for the Friday night. And then Saturday morning is usually six o'clock in the morning, is when this year, like Keith Urban's group was all come in. And then we work all day long with them on organizing what they need and stage at crew and setting up and sound checks and feeding them. So do you have a semi-truck full of coffee that comes in as well to kind of keep everybody that that's a very much um having a partnership with some local businesses because uh the point Ryan and his team consistently from six o'clock they um on in the morning are feeding a large group of stage people with coffee and all of that. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:45

Nice. Oh, it's gotta be great for the city, I would I would presume, and even the surrounding uh neighboring cities. Nice.

SPEAKER_00 9:51

Yeah, they're very much in favor of us hosting it also because of they want to show off the beautiful prior lake as well. We have one of the prettiest cities, I believe, within the metro area and so forth. And think of the number of people who have never seen our our city and that they're coming to visit for the first time, and people people just marvel at it. I I think when Michelle talks about the 17 years, over time, every year we have learned something new in order to make it better for our guests and and better for our overall experience as well. But we have organizations too that help us every single year uh with that. The city has been great. The restaurants, like Michelle said, has been have been absolutely wonderful. Our partners really look forward to this because it's a great event for everybody.

SPEAKER_02 10:39

So, what's one of the toughest lessons, maybe other than getting the start the truck stuck in the rain?

SPEAKER_00 10:45

Controlling the weather.

SPEAKER_02 10:47

Controlling the weather is just impossible.

SPEAKER_00 10:49

Well, we've had some severe weather that has popped up on occasion where we've had to make some last-minute adjustments with opening and so forth. It's something that we can't control, but I think we're very safety conscious. Sure. Because we have the weather service that is keeping us uh well informed throughout the process and everything else. And we punt a little bit. And I think everybody understands because there's nothing that we can do about it.

SPEAKER_02 11:13

Right. And nobody wants to go stand out and thunderstorm anyway, and watch their favorite band.

SPEAKER_01 11:17

Yeah, and and to evacuate 18,000 people, um we can do it in 45 minutes, but you definitely we have a great partnership with um uh a Shakame Manowakan and Sioux community who allows us to use their command center, which is right hooked up with the um Chan Hassan uh weather. And so I spend uh I start talking with them on Monday to chart out, and I didn't never realize I was really going to really become a meteorologist by the end of this time because I can tell you when all these um uh weather events are gonna happen either.

SPEAKER_02 11:51

Is that right? You can pick up the floods, the cloud formation.

SPEAKER_01 11:55

I've learned over the years. I think the hardest um one that we uh the biggest lesson that we learned was um when we had to close for COVID and how to work. We uh really worked with all of the festivals, outdoor festivals in 2020 to make that decision on not how not to open. And then in 2021, when were you gonna open and that and that year we were the first to open in 21 um with over 10,000 people outside. So we had a large sellout to that. People were very anxious and wanting to get back together.

SPEAKER_02 12:31

I remember those days. Yeah. Finally we can go outside again, everybody running.

SPEAKER_01 12:35

Yeah, yeah. So um, and that's so it was, you know, how to that was a real difficult time trying to communicate and how to deal with that and and making sure you're the safest and stuff. So we learned a lot. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:50

So what's another uh kind of interesting lesson you've learned along the way?

SPEAKER_00 12:56

It it pays to build community within the community because without the people supporting us, without our guests coming back every single year, because we have a lot of our repeat customers and so forth, I I think that that's the biggest thing. We've proven that we can deliver to our audience. People are very pleased with the acts that we have put on stage and so forth. So I think that that's the biggest thing. We listen to our customers, and I think that we do a great job in providing customer service as well.

SPEAKER_02 13:28

Super.

SPEAKER_01 13:29

Yeah, and I think I think knowing I learned right away in 2018 that I had to develop a thicker skin on uh how when we announce our artists, because not everyone's gonna like them. Um, we all have our different opinions on who should be a headliner and who shouldn't. Um, and then that just trying to understand that these guys, you know, this year we have Billy Idol. He's a Hall of Fame, you know, he's in the Hall of Fame. And, you know, and it just amazes me that there's gonna be someone that would say, no, can't you have this person? And I'm like, nope, can't. Everybody has their favorites, yeah. They're all so you you work on it.

SPEAKER_02 14:07

It's gonna be a challenge challenge with 18,000 opinions. Yeah, you know what I mean? You can't you can't please everybody, right? No, so so you said in the uh the first year it was a jazz festival, is that right? Yep. So how how did kind of that progress? Like the choice of music and and like how did that just kind of come together?

SPEAKER_00 14:26

I I think I was around at that time. I don't think that Michelle had joined up until I I think um the key thing that we had talked about is what is going to bring the most people into the park. And the decision was made at that time that probably changing it up to rock and to country would be a bigger draw for the people who would be coming to Pryor Lake and and to support us. And so we did we did pivot after two years. I think it was a the right decision to go ahead and to make that decision. And it's been extremely successful ever since then.

SPEAKER_02 15:04

Nice. So um, in terms of like the level of musicians and bands, has that kind of grown and become more and more national over time? Tell me about that.

SPEAKER_01 15:14

Yeah, the first until 2018, um we were working with um uh a company that was uh basically helping us pro bono. And so it was very much um when they had time, they were gonna work on it. And so it was harder to be able to announce, like I said, before, you know, a couple of weeks before. And that's really hard. Um, and to get some steady acts. So we knew that we were gonna have to probably put some money into it um to get the the acts that we wanted to be able to make this a very long-lasting fundraiser. And that's so that's why we went out and got a national um buy or talent buying company, and that with variety attraction. And then in 2019, we had Brad Paisley as our headliner. And that's so um for country.

SPEAKER_02 16:12

So first year you made the choice, you started bringing in the big guns. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_01 16:15

And it was quite the difference. I mean, all of a sudden you're announcing in in January, you know, six, seven months before the event, and it's like, wait a minute, we know how much money we're gonna have before we go into this event. What a what a relief it is, you know, that we can cover our costs. We, you know, we don't have to worry about all of that kind of stuff. So it just kind of uh worked into okay, this is this is how we're supposed to do this.

SPEAKER_02 16:38

Interesting. So I mean, as somebody who's never put something like this together myself, that sounds like a sounds like a huge risk, right? To take that plunge to go that that uh that bold you know, into finding that national booking agent and going out and getting national acts coming in, but it then it proved itself, proved itself the good decision moving away from you know, getting the rock and country and then going national.

SPEAKER_01 17:00

Yeah, yeah, it was it was interesting because in 2019 we went big and it was a lot of like, oh, cross our fingers, we can do this, you know, and then we did it, and then the pandemic happened.

SPEAKER_02 17:12

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_01 17:13

And it was like, wow. Okay, we got another one.

SPEAKER_02 17:17

It's like the weather, right?

SPEAKER_00 17:18

Yeah, but everybody understood because nobody else was was operating at that time either. I I think what's really fun too that once we announce to watch social media light up and the positive responses that we get from people who are very loyal to our group to say, wow, can you believe that that they got them? So um it it is really nice.

SPEAKER_02 17:39

Yeah, that's cool. Yeah. So you said you work a lot, uh obviously with the city and with the local vendors. And and yeah, I mean, I'm I would imagine this not only is it bringing you know revenue in for the concert itself, but there's a whole lot of revenue coming into the local community. Tell me a little bit about that and some of that positive message.

SPEAKER_01 18:00

Yeah. I mean, like Lori said, we have about 40 nonprofits, local and nonprofits, that all volunteer their time and then we donate back. So that that right now is last year we donated what a hundred dollars, $142,000.

SPEAKER_00 18:15

Plus, there were other organizations that we have long-time commitments as far as helping out on an annual basis, too. So that was the day in October that we bring all of them together and we hand out checks and they tell us what they're going to be doing with the funds that they have raised and so forth. But I also think the businesses in town to really appreciate that we're bringing in anywhere between 12 and 18,000 out 18,000 people in a night and they support too. They stay at hotels, they go and they eat at restaurants. Many of them are from out of town, so so they're not necessarily living in prior lake, even though we do get a lot of support from local residents too. But we do our best to try and shop local wherever we can, and they appreciate the additional business too.

SPEAKER_02 19:00

Nice. So I I assume you're the history person.

SPEAKER_00 19:07

I am not the longest serving prior lake Rotarian, but yes, I've been around for a long time.

SPEAKER_02 19:12

Out of the two of you, I think uh the the way that was it, Brad, I think, that set this up. Bruce. Bruce, the way that you set it up. One of you was going to talk to One Piece. Right. And I noticed you wrote some stuff down. So is there anything there that you wanted to touch on specifically?

SPEAKER_00 19:25

Um just the difference. You know, we talk about why we do what we do, and we work really, really hard. I mean, this is Michelle's second full-time job, I think, because she also has another full-time job as well, too. And I I think for all of us, what we can give back, some of the things that we have been able to fund with our proceeds and so forth, we heard from the Scott County Sheriff. We gave them a big donation to buy a drone. And the drone was used in the capture of the person who um uh is believed to have murdered Melissa Horton and her husband. They used it in that capacity. And just a couple of months ago, there was a child with special needs, and he wandered off and they couldn't find him, and they were just frantic. They put the drone up in the air and they found him. Um, there are so many stories that we continue to hear back from different organizations and so forth. So I wonder, I know that we're making a difference. I know that people appreciate our contributions to the community and so forth. And so when you ask why we do what we do, and a lot of people have asked Michelle, why do you work as hard as what you do? Because she works extremely hard with this. But that's why we do what we do, because we are helping to make a difference with the different things that we help fund, not only in Prior Lake, but the extended community too.

SPEAKER_02 20:47

I'd love to give you a chance to speak to that same thing.

SPEAKER_01 20:51

Oh, yeah. I mean, I I I I often tell the story. I'm a part of the international committee of our club, and I write a lot of um uh grants for projects than Peru. Uh passionate, I fell in love with that country and um the people down there. And um, I knew in 2018 that we had to raise a lot of money to be able to do all of the things that we want to do. We're a very active and passionate club and want to do good in the community. And um, I met a little um young mom down there that broke my heart because she had to choose between two of her kids to have clean water. And I knew then that I wanted to do something to be able to help them down there. And so we raised money and we provided a water grant, and now they have safe clean water down there in that community. And I go down there every year and I see what we can do, and we're able to do a lot of good things in our community.

SPEAKER_02 21:50

So well, I think I think all of us as human beings, right? You either you either live to live and sustain yourself or you live with a purpose. And it's it's really lovely to hear that. I think both of you have found something that gives you purpose. Yeah. That's fantastic.

SPEAKER_00 22:06

It's been fun to watch the camaraderie in our group too. We have people who are join join Rotary all of the time. So everybody, everybody is involved with the project in some way, shape, or form. But having one common goal has really helped us as a group also. Um achieving that, celebrating success, knowing that we've made a difference in the community.

SPEAKER_01 22:28

Yeah. Because none of us are um musicians. Well, I shouldn't say there are a few that are musicians, but none of them has run a big music event that's uh that does um that's their job. So we have construction owners, we have bankers, we have insurance company, we have educators, we have newspaper editors, we have all of them um creating this event. And I think we all want it to be the most successful, and even our volunteers, we have over 2,000 people that volunteered to make this event. And you would all think that they're wearing the blue rotary shirts because they're so passionate about it, because they want their community uh event to succeed, and that's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_02 23:14

Well, it's definitely sounds like a good added to your resume, right? And that's flip it over and put this on the backside, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:19

And I think that's the difference between us and and so many of the other festivals that we we do um have such a loyal group of people that want this to succeed, both as customers and volunteers.

SPEAKER_00 23:33

Yeah, I was saying that that's the reason why it works. We have it on both sides.

SPEAKER_02 23:37

So um back in the first day that you'd heard of the rotary, uh, what what made you want to search it out and what made you want to join?

SPEAKER_00 23:47

You know, at that time we probably had 35 or 40 people. I was one of the first women to join the organization because for many years prior to that, women were not allowed in rotary. And then they got smart. And I I will say that um our our group gets along so very, very well. It's one of the reasons why we've grown as much as what we have. But I also think the fact that we do Lake Front Music Fest has been a big draw for our membership too. We have had people in the community who didn't know a whole lot about us and they come in and they say, I don't know how you do what you do, but I want to be part of what you're doing because they see the impact that what it has on in the community as well. So um I some of my very best friends are part of Rotary, some of the most um amazing people and giving people that I have in my life and who I know on a personal level, they're they're my friends from Rotary. So it works.

SPEAKER_02 24:49

Okay. I want to kick it over to you too, Michelle. Like why why Rotary? Why did you join in the first place? You know, I was are we a therapy session? Tears are allowed, it's okay.

SPEAKER_01 25:04

Um, I was, you know, in a transition, kind of a midlife crisis, looking uh for a different role and different job. I've been in a job for almost 20 years and just looking for a connection. Um, and I went to a meeting and I'm like, wow, these people are exciting, they do a lot of fun things. And, you know, I um went back the next week and I was just like, yep, this is what I want. And that, but I'm so thankful. Um, I'm a better person because of it. I uh know my knowledge is so much compared to where I was 11 years ago. Um, in in my business aspect, running um two businesses that I do right now. Um, but the fact that I can rattle off with the um city manager of of Pyro Lake and talk about all the security and what we're gonna bring in and talk to a group of guys about all of that. I would have never thought that 11 years ago. Would have never thought I'd be on stage talking to 18,000 people and survive it because that first year I was like hyperventilating being beyond the stand or going.

SPEAKER_02 26:17

That's part of your job too.

SPEAKER_01 26:18

Uh yep, yep, yep, yep. We get to announce so I get up or we get up there and talk about what we've done and thanking everyone and then um yeah, telling everyone who was coming the next year. So that's didn't think I was gonna be able to do that. Didn't think I was gonna sit in a backstage and talk to a whole bunch of um people that you know travel all nationally with their like last year, Miranda Lambert and um their group and and get to know all these people and what they all need and and what we can do. So yeah, it's a fun, non-paying job.

SPEAKER_02 26:55

So there's a there's a famous story in the music community, right? Of the riders, and that Van Halen used to ask for only green MMs. What's the craziest, weirdest writer that you've seen in years of doing this?

SPEAKER_01 27:10

Don't have to name the band necessarily, but something um well, there's there's uh definitely writers, and very they're very good about the fact that we're an outdoor festival. Um, we've we've grown on the fact that we do bring portable showers now in, um, and that because there's some brand no toilets. Yeah, air conditioning toilets that are portable, um, that are great.

SPEAKER_02 27:33

Um sounds like there's probably a story there, but we won't get into that one.

SPEAKER_01 27:38

Yeah. Um uh they one of them we had to have a whole parking lot for a semi, which we did not realize that was carrying um whiskey. They were traveling whiskey around the whole year so they could sell it the year later, um as it traveled the w, you know, the world. It was it was part of their marketing strategy. So we had this whole semi-full of uh barrels of whiskey and that. So that's fun. We've had a few that have had to have make sure that um we had um medical around. Um which we always do. Yeah, the year um we announced Lady A and Lady A was gonna be there. Um, sadly, the night before um Charles ended up with having a ruptured appendicitis, so they had to cancel that night. So we had to figure out some um workarounds on that. Um and it all worked out, and it all worked out and that. So, but yeah, I think the the weirdest one was um we had the stage manner be um allergic to diesel. So our generators had to be 250 feet away from the stage.

SPEAKER_02 29:02

And how close are they normally?

SPEAKER_01 29:04

Um 100 feet. So we had to significant longer run. That was a couple years ago, and we had to really work out how to do that, and then you just kind of go, how does he do this all year long if he's traveling with it?

SPEAKER_02 29:18

Everywhere he goes, right?

SPEAKER_01 29:19

Yeah, so that was a unique one, fun, yeah. But otherwise, very everyone's very common. There's the ones that only a certain uh liquor that we had to go and find from Wisconsin and ship in and stuff like that, but otherwise they're pretty good.

SPEAKER_02 29:36

Well, Wisconsin has a plethora of liquor, yes, we do. Very cool, yeah. Um awesome. So uh you get to meet some of these national acts and stuff like that. Tell me just a story or two about that. Somebody that you met and you you always wanted to meet, and it was fantastic. Why don't we start over here?

SPEAKER_00 29:59

I'm trying to think off the top of my head. I'm usually behind the stage and and more the logistics and money person with that.

SPEAKER_02 30:07

I see.

SPEAKER_00 30:08

So I I will defer to Michelle because she has much more face-to-face interaction with them than what I do.

SPEAKER_02 30:15

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 30:15

You know, they're they're very uh they're all I don't think we've had one that I would say, oh my, I wish we didn't have, you know. Um, I will say um the year that Dario's record came, um, he was very purposeful to make sure that all the stage hands were backstage when he left or when he went down after the concert. So he could personally thank all of them.

SPEAKER_02 30:43

Oh, that's nice.

SPEAKER_01 30:44

And I was like, wow. And then before they he went on, um, he asked a few of us along with his team to come into his tent and they did a prayer and a shot. So everyone of us stood around in the circle and the and he thanked everyone of his team.

SPEAKER_02 31:04

That's lovely.

SPEAKER_01 31:05

And then um a few of us, and then they all did his um alcohol and that. So I found that very interesting and very amazing that he really wanted to focus on these people that he's never gonna see again and thank them that they would set up their stage. They set up and took down, and it was it it was really meaningful for those um um people. And then last year Foreigner asked us to have the high school band our uh choir do two songs on stage.

SPEAKER_02 31:38

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_01 31:38

So we coordinated that and had our part of like um group of 25 kids get on stage for two songs.

SPEAKER_02 31:45

Can you imagine being a high school kid and not knowing that's coming down your pipeline? Yeah, wow.

SPEAKER_01 31:51

So we coordinated that and stuff, but yeah, we've been pretty lucky that it is absolutely amazing that the group that uh artists that we get every year has been wonderful to work with.

SPEAKER_02 32:02

That's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_01 32:03

Yeah, because I've heard horror stories mostly.

SPEAKER_02 32:07

Exist out there, yeah, exist out there. It's it's it's funny because it I've had a lot of musicians come on here as well, and we all say there's a couple people even in the local community that their egos into the room before they do. Yeah. But most most everybody is just lovely, you know. Most most human beings, most musicians are uh kind of shy, and you know, when they're not on stage, don't even want to talk to people. They're introverted, and when they get up there, suddenly they're larger than life. And I'd imagine your national musicians are probably falling a lot in those same pockets. So but it's nice to hear somebody like Darius Rucker is taking kind of that leadership approach and really just you know taking his time and yeah, energy and spending that with others. So that's phenomenal.

SPEAKER_01 32:44

It was really nice. And and those that stage crew, and they're they come every year and how art is set up and and and it they still talk about it. So that was pretty it meant a lot to them.

SPEAKER_02 32:56

Cool. Um I had another question, I forgot what it was. There we go. Well, what's uh talk to me about this year. Talk to me about what what the what to expect.

SPEAKER_01 33:11

What to expect. Um, well, it hopefully the weather is not rainy. And then when it's a beautiful night, it is absolutely amazing. Um the July 10th, we have Billy Idol, Jefferson Starship, and George Thoroughgood and the destroyers. And that's a great um lineup for Rock Knight and that. Um they uh we opened the gates at 4 30 in the afternoon, and then um Jefferson Starship will go on around 6 p.m. And that and they play for about 40 minutes. Okay, and then uh George Thoroughgood. And that it is absolutely fascinating to watch the stage crew and how they all change out so quickly, and that between um the artists and stuff, and uh they'll go on around eight o'clock, and then um uh Billy Idol go on at 9 30.

SPEAKER_02 34:12

So I'm curious, isn't never never never run a festival myself. Do the stage crew come with the band? So they kind of like know how things work, or they local stage crew that just it's it's the majority of it's local that we hire. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 34:25

Um, because of um uh there's only a certain amount from each uh band that travels. Um so they have their art their band and then a few of the their people that travel with them, but the otherwise that we have a stage crew that comes.

SPEAKER_02 34:44

Cool. Well, they just gotta dial in, huh? They know what they're doing, and yeah, sweet.

SPEAKER_01 34:48

Yeah. They've been doing uh we've been with um our stage group. Um, gosh, I think they've been here almost the whole time.

SPEAKER_02 34:56

Hmm. Awesome. Yeah, it's gotta be something they look forward to every year, I suppose.

SPEAKER_01 35:01

Yeah, yeah. And they're coming from uh, you know, all over the um three or four state area.

SPEAKER_02 35:08

Is that right?

SPEAKER_01 35:09

Wingie is group is, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:11

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 35:11

So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:12

Very nice. Yeah. All right. So how much are tickets? What types of tickets can I get?

SPEAKER_00 35:17

Saturday night too. Oh, Saturday night.

SPEAKER_01 35:19

Yeah, we can't forget about Saturday night. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 35:20

Yeah, I derailed you. Let's talk about Saturday.

SPEAKER_01 35:22

Yeah, Saturday is always our bigger night. Okay. Um, country is um quite popular. Um, and we have Keith Urban, Jackson Dean, and Carly Um Scott. Um, she'll open and then Jackson Dean and then Keith Urban. And he'll go on around 10, so a little later than Friday night. But the gates um open at 4 30. And um Keith Urban's very I've seen him in in um person at Winstock in 2018, and I knew that we needed to get him sometime, and we finally did. Um, but he is very personable with the crowd, and it wouldn't surprise me if he's in the crowd sometime or you know, enjoying it and um and that, and I'm looking forward to Jackson Dean has a new song that's coming out, so I'm looking forward to hearing that too.

SPEAKER_02 36:10

So very cool.

SPEAKER_01 36:12

But tickets, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:13

How how much are tickets? Where do I get tickets?

SPEAKER_01 36:16

Um, Lakefront Musicfest.com is where we sell our tickets. Um currently January uh June 1st, we went to single night only. We no longer have the weekend package. Um so it's um $110 a ticket for three acts. Nice. That's great. Um Friday night we do have a few more um VIP tickets being sold where you get a whole meal, free drinks, everything you're upstairs up front to see Billy Idol, which is really cool.

SPEAKER_02 36:47

Nice.

SPEAKER_01 36:48

Um, and that um, but yeah, tickets are going really fast. So we're we're excited to have another good year.

SPEAKER_00 36:53

Our ticket pricing, too, is significantly I I think people appreciate that we try to keep the pricing in line. Um, and um for for the acts that we're providing to our audience and so forth, it's a great deal. People really appreciate that also, and that that's the reason also why they come back year after year.

SPEAKER_01 37:11

Nice. Yeah, and we can share that for 2027 we're not raising the rates. Right. So it'll be the 2026 rates. So um that's awesome. We're excited about that when we announce our art headliners um and in July.

SPEAKER_02 37:25

So as somebody who likes to go to a lot of concerts, yeah, it's getting a little bit too expensive now because I've got young'ins that like to go, and my wife and I, and we ticket four people, it's a car payment at this point. So more.

SPEAKER_00 37:37

So when you think about it, if you want to go and see Billy Idol or Keith Urban, $110 for a ticket, that's pretty reasonable.

SPEAKER_02 37:45

It's pretty reasonable. It is.

SPEAKER_01 37:46

Yeah, and we're all in. We don't have ticket fees. Right. So it's all in. Nice price. Awesome. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:53

Well, is there anything else, ladies, that you kind of thought that you wanted to share that I haven't asked the right question for yet?

SPEAKER_00 38:00

Come to our music fest. It'll be a great party that weekend. So Oh, that's great. Thank you for having us.

SPEAKER_02 38:07

It's been a pleasure. Thank you. So I always wrap up with uh the the same last question, and you may not be prepared for this if you haven't watched any of the episodes yet, but um, I would like to know who you would suggest would be a great guest for the podcast. It can be a toughie.

SPEAKER_00 38:32

Does it have to be local?

SPEAKER_02 38:35

It has to be Minnesota related. So it is called the Minnesota Music Note. So I've had some offers of Chicago bands and other things, and I was like, nah, sorry, they don't quite fit.

SPEAKER_01 38:47

Well, I will say, um, we have Steve Wingie and his crew that are stage people, they're fascinating. Um, uh Dave Brum, who is fire up video, he does all of our jumbotron and the amount of concerts that they have been to and have incorporated in. And Dave does all of our, you know, he coordinates with all of the bands and all, you know, as the artists get bigger and bigger, they have a lot of video. And it's fascinating how he does it and his crew gets it all correct with each song and all of that. So those are very fascinating people that I like to listen to.

SPEAKER_02 39:28

That sounds pretty fascinating for me, even if it wasn't on the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 39:31

So and then Bill Magnum, our um talent buyer from Variety Attraction, has been in the field for I think 50 plus years, and um I sit every year and listen to his stories, and and his most fascinating ones is when he talks about his um getting Garth Brooks into the uh uh bars scene in different little bars and it well before he was even known. So it's the stories he has is very fascinating.

SPEAKER_02 40:03

So yeah, those are great, yeah, those are great recommendations. Thank you. Yeah I might have to email you and say, hey, get me in touch with them. But uh yeah, good stories for you.

SPEAKER_01 40:13

Yeah, they would. They would have really good stories.

SPEAKER_02 40:16

Well, thank you so much, ladies. Thanks for making the trip out here. And I hope you had fun. I had a great time.

SPEAKER_00 40:21

We did. Thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 40:22

Nice. Hey there, Minnesota Music Family. If I haven't personally reached out to you yet, consider this your 100% official invitation to join me on the Minnesota Music Show. I'm Will McLeod, co-founder of the podcast crew here in beautiful Robinsdale, host of the show, and the guy behind the kits of the band, It's in the midst of. I started this podcast because I want to get to know the people who make our scene fit. Whether you're fronting a band, spinning hip-hop, running sound, booking shows, running shows, or teaching the next generation of talent, your story belongs to you. We've had everyone, from videographers to festival organizers on the mic, and we're just getting started. It doesn't matter if you're playing arena or just making magic in your basement. If you're part of the Minnesota music community, I want to test. Why didn't I support elbow and what's talking about?