The city may still be under snow, but at least Duluth's ever-percolating music scene will heat up again next week for its 15th annual Homegrown Festival. Participants range from bigwigs Retribution Gospel Choir and Charlie Parr to such oddities as Sexhawk and Wino, WI and rising stars Next of Kin, Southwire and Actual Wolf. It runs Sunday through next weekend. Details at DuluthHomegrown.org. …
Also worth a two-hour drive from the Cities: The historic and way-cool Silver Dome Ballroom in Neillsville, Wis., hosts its 2 By 4 Festival next weekend with the 4onthefloor headlining May 3 and Southern Culture on the Skids May 4. Details on the Silver Dome's Facebook page. …
First Avenue's inaugural festival has been put off again until next year, but there are still a couple of other big outdoor bashes to be announced for summer: Pizza Lucé, which held off on its popular block party last year, will bring it back in a big way Aug. 10 in a downtown location to mark the chain's 20th anniversary. Stay tuned for the lineup. That same weekend, Somerset Amphitheater will play host to the second annual Summer Set dance/rap/rock fest. Organizers reportedly just confirmed the last headliner slot last week. …
After Texas twang-folkie Nanci Griffith canceled due to illness, the Dakota came up with a great remedy by booking Gary Louris for Monday and Tuesday nights (7 p.m., $30). These gigs will be the Jayhawks singer's first time playing the Dakota, and his first hometown shows since canceling a tour last fall for chemical dependency treatment. …
Late-'70s holdovers the Lamont Cranston Band and Daisy Dillman Band are playing a rare gig together Saturday at the Medina Entertainment Center (8 p.m., $17-$22). … TPT is producing a second episode of "Lowertown Line" with Brother Ali on May 15, to air at a later date. …
Friday night's buzzing, Chicago-based headliner at 7th Street Entry, On an On, has a few local ties — keyboardist Alissa Ricci lives here, for one. The trio's MGMT-like psychedelic dance-pop has earned them upcoming tour dates with Junip and a slot at New York's massive Governor's Ball Fest, where Poliça is also set to play one of its few summer gigs. …
Something that'll keep Poliça's drummers and producer occupied for the next few weeks: Marijuana Deathsquads have booked a monthlong residency at Icehouse on alternating Fridays and Wednesdays starting May 3. Each of the five nights will be a release party for something — EPs, singles, maybe a clothing line, who knows?
CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER
