Davina Sowers
Star Tribune photo by Rich Tsong Taatarii
Last year, it poured rain. This year, the heat and humidity were stifling. But the second annual Dakota Street Fest was an unequivocal hit Saturday in downtown Minneapolis. Twenty-seven acts on four stages (3 outdoors) over 13 hours resulted in some excellent music in a variety of styles, a wide-ranging audience and lots of beer, sweat and cheers.
It was a tremendous, free event, a resourceful and reassuring substitute for the late, great and much-missed Day of Music at Orchestra Hall (which the Minnesota Orchestra pulled the plug on a couple of year ago because of a lack of titular sponsor).
Dakota proprietor Lowell Pickett said he put this year's Dakota Street Fest together in the last two weeks because he hadn't lined up enough sponsors and had almost abandoned hope. Hence, there were fewer national acts than last year, he moaned. No problem. We have many first-rate local performers.
Over the course of seven hours, I sampled nine or so acts as well as a little food and drink. Always at the top of the list are Davina & the Vagabonds, who drew one of their larger crowds. After seeing them for the first time Saturday, former Star Tribune music critic Michael Anthony called them "a terrific act." Couldn't agree more. Davina Sowers has the outsized talent and personality for an outdoor festival. The group has crackling arrangements, infectious spirit and top-notch musicianship. Their rollicking reading of "St. James Infirmary" cured whatever ailed you on this suffocating Saturday.
No surprise that piano stud Bobby Lyle with ageless saxophonist Irv Williams were exceptional indoors at the Dakota. Even though he learned heavily on 1970s-evoking jazz fusion and electric keyboard, Nachito Herrera was his usual invigorating self. Philly pop-soul singer Sharon Little was a tasty out-of-town treat, and the revamped Lynhurst, the Minneapolis family pop/rock band, projected a becoming, new vibe with drummer Mari Abdo moving up front as standup lead vocalist (while a new drummer, Steady Eddie, has joined).
The discovery of the day was Paul Metsa with Willie West and Willie Walker. This group found Metsa wisely eschewing vocals and sticking to his expressive acoustic guitar as he accompanied these two sage R&B/blues singers trading verses on such classics as "Dock of the Bay," "Summertime" and "People Get Ready." Though under-rehearsed, Paul & the Willies showed their potential for understated vocal fireworks between these two superior veterans. Metsa was the savvy ringleader/accompanist, who even threw in a little instrumental version of "We're Gonna Win Twins" (which they did Saturday evening).
