MedCity Music Map is sponsored by Thesis Beer Project
‘Tis the season to celebrate music. It is always fun to ride and sing a sleighing song, and the Med City’s December music schedule certainly slays with a stocking full of musical treats for all the good Rochester girls and boys.
Warm up around the musical fire and don’t forget the hot coco and great Thesis Brews when you go to check out all the musical sweets. The Med City’s holiday music lineup offers everything from Tuba Christmas to The Third Annual Sugarplum Shindig at Thesis Beer Project.
THESIS BEER PROJECT - LIVE MUSIC
The 3rd Annual Sugarplum Shindig- A Holiday Music Showcase & Benefit
DATE + TIME: Saturday Dec. 13 | 7-11 p.m.
LOCATION: Thesis Beer Project 1929 2nd St SW, Rochester, MN 55902
TICKETS: $10 Cover
“In the third year of Christmas, our true love sent to us, some bands in a brewery.” Organized by local singer, songwriter, guitarist and bandleader Steve McCauley, the Sugarplum Shindig is going into its third year this December. The event features a variety of local musicians gathering together to showcase some holiday music while supporting a good cause. This year the lineup includes acts like Jeremy Jewell & The Codependents, Enemy in the Sky, Oliver Books and The Big Big World, Audrey Robinson, Amateur, The Walking Beat, and more.
Hosted at Thesis Beer Project, you know the show will include some of the area’s best beers, but it will also benefit Rochester’s Jeremiah Program. The Jeremiah Program works to provide housing, daycare, and opportunities for single mothers and their children. Rochester’s Jeremiah Program is part of a national organization with a “mission to disrupt the cycle of poverty for single mothers and their children, two generations at a time. The show organizers are encouraging all comers to wear their craziest holiday sweaters and other fun holiday duds
A Very Merry Bluegrass Christmas with Becky Schlegel & The High 48s
DATE + TIME: Sunday December 14 | 2:00pm
LOCATION: State Theatre 96 E 4th St, Zumbrota, MN 55992
TICKETS: $28 General Admission
If you’d like to ride your sleigh a few miles north of the Med City to check out some holiday cheer, Becky Schlegel and the High 48s holiday show at Zumbrota’s State Theatre will be the perfect musical journey.
Becky Schlegel’s entrancing voice and riveting songwriting have graced stages from the Prairie Home Companion show to Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour. Her music combines classic country with modern folk music, and she started her career with a stint as a Nashville songwriter. The High 48s formed in northeast Minneapolis in 2006 and they combine the soulful sound of bluegrass with a contemporary vibe that creates interesting combinations that might see them performing something by The Clash one minute followed by a standard from Bill Monroe the next.
Collaborating, Becky Schlegel and the High 48’s have recorded songs like Schlegel’s “Baltimore and Ohio” as well as “Christmas Every Day” from the 2016 Holidays with the High 48s record. At their State Theatre concert, Becky and the High 48s are combining high-energy bluegrass music with Schlegel’s “angelic, soulful” singing to perform everything form old-time Christmas carols to new holiday favorites that feature mandolin, banjo and guitar.
MORE MEDCITY LIVE MUSIC
A Swingin’ Christmas with the Harry Scott Jazz Orchestra
DATE + TIME: Thursday December 18 | 7:00pm
LOCATION: Historic Chateau Theatre 15 1st St SW, Rochester
TICKETS: $15 General Admission (Advance)
If jazz is your perfect holiday gift, then check out The Harry Scott Jazz Orchestra. A talented pianist and recent graduate from Mayo High School, he’ll be performing with an ensemble that includes both a jazz quartet and a string quartet. The performance will blur the line between classical arrangements and improvised jazz.
The program is set to include holiday classics such as White Christmas. Let it Snow and The Christmas Song. The young musicians in the ensemble hail from both Rochester and the Twin Cities. This seated concert in the historic Chateau promises a night of elegant music
Teeth and Loud Mouth Brass
DATE + TIME: Friday December 19 | 7:30pm
LOCATION: Thesis Beer Project 1929 2nd St SW, Rochester
TICKETS: $8 Cover
Over the Teeth and over the gums, watch out stomach, here it comes. If you are ready for some blues-inspired jamming from one of Rochester’s hardest hitting trios, then come take a bite out of the low-down music created by Champ, Beans, and Slim, the members of the band Teeth. This dynamic trio never fails to impress with its cohesive improvisations and wicked dynamics, plus, they come armed with individually wrapped toothbrushes as merch and always look good in their impeccably styled jump suits. They are the perfect musical accompaniment to swig some Thesis brews to.
The night will be a mouthful since Teeth will be joined by another mouthy band: Loud Mouth Brass. This six-piece, New Orleans-inspired brass band is ready to get you dancing with its pop-oriented sound and original compositions. From the top of its bluesaphone to the bottom of its thumping bass drum, Loud Mouth Brass is ready for a party. They’ll likely throw a few holiday songs into the mix too since it’s the season. Come out for a great night of music and put your foot on the dance floor, or in your mouth, because neither Teeth nor Loud Mouth Brass will mind.
Rochester’s 5th Annual Tuba Christmas
DATE + TIME: Saturday December 20 | 12:00pm
LOCATION: Christ United Methodist Church 400 5th Ave. SW Rochester
Proceeds benefit The Landing MN
Have you ever seen 50-70 tuba and euphonium players gathered on one stage to play Christmas Carols together? If you haven’t, now’s your chance. This is the 5th year that Rochester will host its own Tuba Christmas. Organized by Abbie Brown, the fun performance is part of a national tradition that began in 1974 when 300 some low brass players performed Christmas music at the ice skating rink in New York City’s Rockefeller Center. Rochester’s Tuba Christmas will benefit The Landing MN, a local non-profit providing essential services and support to those experiencing homelessness in Rochester.
While the performance is held at noon, any tuba or euphonium players who wish to perform in the concert can pay a $15 registration fee which includes a 2025 Tuba Christmas button and join the 10 a.m. rehearsal to perform with the group. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m.
The Honeydogs and Six Mile Grove with Eleanor Sievers
DATE + TIME: Satuday December 20 | Doors 6:30pm
LOCATION: Historic Chateau Theatre 15 1st St SW, Rochester
TICKETS: $25 General Admission (Advance)
The Honeydogs have recently released a new album entitled Algebra for Broken Hearts. Their tour in support of the record will include a stop at the Historic Chateau Theatre. The band’s last album was released 28 years ago, so the legendary reunion of the band’s original line-up of brothers Adam and Noah Levy with Trent Norton and Tommy Borscheid has been long-anticipated. The band seems to blend the energy of The Clash with a slightly country rock vibe.
The Honeydogs will be joined by Rochester area legends Six Mile Grove lead by Brandon Sampson. Like The Honeydogs, Six Mile Grove is another band including brothers with Sampson’s brother Brian on drums. For more than 20 years, Six Mile Gorve has benn playing shows and self-producing records including their seventh album “Million Birds.” With a distinct Americana vibe, Six Mile Grove’s songs manage to tell stories that aren’t soon forgotten. The night will start out with music from Rochester’s own Eleanor Sievers, an 18-year-old singer-song writer with two EPs under her belt.
