Roses are red and violins are blue(grass), so it only makes sense that Barbaro’s newly released record is dressed in scarlet blooms. Barbaro will be swinging through Rochester with a stop at Little Thistle Brewery this Saturday as part of a midwestern tour supporting their debut LP, " Dressed in Roses ."
Barbaro, based in Minneapolis and Winona, took home honors from the John Hartford Memorial Festival Band Contest and the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association’s Americana-Roots Band Contest. Their latest record was produced by Adam Greuel of Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, and recorded at Wild Sound Recording studio.
The music that Barbaro makes is somewhat genre-defying. "While we are set up like a bluegrass band, the sound is far from that," says Kyle Shelstad, who sings, plays guitar, and composes many of the band’s songs. "My main goal is to create something that sounds original. … Defining the sound always comes second to the creation." Beside Shelstad, Barbaro includes Isaac Sammis (banjo), Rachel Calvert (vocals and fiddle), and Jason Wells (vocals and bass). Many of the tracks on "Dressed in Roses" also include Julian Davis on mandolin.
Shelstad says the band chose to release their music on vinyl because of the tone it creates, and because the medium lends itself to presenting a listening experience. "We love playing rowdy clubs, but we also love playing listening spaces. This is where we think we can really showcase our craft and our chemistry as a band," he says. "Vinyl in some ways forces people to listen from start to finish. There is no shuffle, and you can't add it to a playlist."
While Barbaro has had successes this past year, including the release of their debut single and banjoist Sammis and his wife Rebecca welcoming a new child into the world, making music in an independent band isn’t always easy. "There is a lot of time, outside of touring, that everyone in this band sacrifices for the love of this project and their passion for music," says Shelstad. "Please support independent musicians by buying their merch, getting tickets to their shows, and telling your friends."
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Local band My Grandma’s Cardigan will open for Barbaro. The two bands shared the stage last year in Rochester when they both opened for Charlie Parr. Gina Marcucci and RaeNelle Ostberg, the leading ladies of My Grandma’s Cardigan, already have some favorites from Barbaro’s new record. Marcucci says her favorite is the song "Cold Stack" and Ostberg recommends "Aunt Betty." The sadness in "All Those Folks" makes it another standout track on the record.
My Grandma’s Cardigan describes themselves as "women-led folk music with rock influence and a smidge of bluegrass." The band was built on the foundation laid by the vocal harmonies of Marcucci and Ostberg, as well as their guitar and mandolin. They’ve been playing for years with Weston Cash Holley, a guitarist and banjo slinger. More recently, Allan Palmer (bass), Jake Allen (skins), and Evin Haukos (fiddle) have joined the band. Marcucci and Ostberg think their band has grown together in the last year and they’ve made the new dynamics created by each new member into a unique sound that represents the best version of the band to date. In the near future, My Grandma’s Cardigan hopes to release a full album that they’ve been recording with Alex Ortberg at the Blue Lagoon Recoding Room.
Marcucci is excited about playing at Little Thistle Brewery. "Small venues like Little Thistle provide the perfect space for the music community to come together," she says. "They are very supportive of local musicians and in a music scene like the one here in Rochester, that’s very important."
While the combination of local favorites My Grandma’s Cardigan and Barbaro makes for a pretty incredible lineup for anyone who likes music in the Americana vein, the best part of this show is that it’s free, so you’ll have plenty of spending money left over to buy beer, My Grandma Cardigan’s forthcoming album, and Barbaro’s full-length debut, "Dressed in Roses."
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What: Barbaro with My Grandma's Cardigan
Where: Little Thistle Brewing, 2031 14th St. NW, Rochester
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When: 8-11 p.m. Saturday Jan. 25
Cost: Free (so bring cash for music and drinks!)
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