John Wollum of Maple Grove:
1 Greensky Bluegrass, First Avenue. This Michigan bluegrass jam band lit up the Avenue with a rollicking performance and sterling light show that was far from your typical bluegrass band.
2 Lucinda Williams, the Dakota. A wonderful performance from this gritty Southern poetess. Despite stellar backup from her Buick 6 trio the highlight may have been her solo performing early on, particularly her new "Ghosts of Highway 20."
3 "Violet the Musical," Yellow Tree Theatre. A tremendous staging of this symbolic message musical apropos for current times. The cast was particularly strong with star Jessica Lind Peterson and high school senior Jordan McDonnell shining as the title character of two ages.
Jon Bream of the Star Tribune:
1 "Miles Ahead." With this fictional biopic, director/star/co-writer Don Cheadle has created a work that, like its subject Miles Davis, is adventurous, original, challenging, strange, genius, exciting — and not for everyone.
2 Bela Fleck and Chick Corea, the Guthrie. What a remarkable performance with these two master players of different backgrounds having a musical conversation while they listen to each other and express themselves passionately with rangy vocabularies — and humor.
3 Lizz Wright, the Dakota. When this special blues/jazz/folk/gospel/soul singer got lost in her singing and took you to church (e.g. the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody"), she was marvelous.
