There are nicer venues in town hosting bigger-name artists from out of town, but there's no better outdoors spot to consistently enjoy musicians from the Twin Cities than the Hook & Ladder.
For the third year in a row, the nonprofit south Minneapolis venue is hosting its Under the Canopy series in a former parking lot outside its historic firehouse building.
The setup is nothing fancy: a workable stage with a big-tent roof overhead, a few rows of reservable chairs, a large general admission/dancing area, some tables scattered here and there, bathrooms and a bar inside. But it sure does work.
The series was launched in 2021 as an open-air alternative to indoor music amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It proved popular enough to return in 2022 with fewer restrictions and more space/capacity. There'll be even more room and improvements this year.
Touring artists coming to town to play at Under the Canopy this year include Indigenous, the Iguanas and New Orleans Suspects. But the one thing that hasn't changed is the series' reliance on a large, diverse array of homegrown acts to fill its calendar. That, too, sure does work.
Here are highlights among the dozens of Minnesota artists with UTC shows, which usually start around 7 p.m. and end around 10. Advance tickets are recommended and range from $15 to $40 — less than what you pay just in fees for summer's biggest concerts.
Maria Isa (Thursday): The St. Paul hip-hop vet kicks off the series to celebrate her election to the Minnesota House and her funky new EP, "Capitolio." She's also raising money for Seward Longfellow Restorative Justice in honor of her friend George Floyd and the resilient neighborhood around the venue.
Cornbread Harris (May 11): After his famous son Jimmy Jam joined him on stage here last year — and again at Palmer's two weekends ago — the jazz/blues piano legend will be left to his own, still highly functional devices to celebrate his recent 96th birthday with his agelessly groovy band.
