This July, Med City’s music scene is definitely taller than knee-high. From Brooklyn Queens kicking brass to a country gal from Georgia, Rochester has some wide-ranging musical selections this month. Get ready to kick your shoes off and dance in the grass while you hang out with all the cool kids.
The adage says that music calms the savage beast, and if you need to tame the beastly humid temperatures of Minnesota with some soothing tunes this July, this Med City Music Map has you covered. Soak up all the songs you can while the summer concert season is in full swing!
The Brass Queens
DATE + TIME: Thursday July 9 | 7:00pm
LOCATION: Thursdays Downtown Kahler Grand Hotel Stage on Peace Plaza 1st Avenue and 1st Street SW, Rochester
TICKETS: FREE
Want some brass from Brooklyn? These Queens are ready to kick your brass at our town’s weekly music, food, and arts block party sponsored by Downtown Rochester. The Brass Queens are part of Rochester’s Public Music’s Passport Sessions concert series.
The Brass Queens is a female-led brass band with all-female horns deeply inspired by the New Orleans tradition. They’ve toured internationally making stops at notable festivals like the Telluride Jazz Festival and the Ottawa Jazz Festival. They’ll be one of six bands that perform at Thursdays Downtown on July 9th. The other acts on July 9th include Jeremy Jewell (11:30am), Cole Allen Band (5pm), Clay Fulton (11:30am), Femmelectric (5pm), and Dred I Dread (7pm). Come back to Thursdays Downtown every Thursday in July for more live music.
Bunny Blood, Mary Jam, Your Last Breath, and Flowers 4 Guilt
DATE + TIME: Thursday July 10 | 7:00pm
LOCATION: Treedome Vinyl & Vintage | 309 S. Broadway, Rochester
TICKETS: $10
Ready to get that garage gaze music itch scratched? Check out Bunny Blood headlining a four-band bill at Treedome Vinyl and Vintage. Based in Minneapolis, Bunny Blood describes itself as a genre-bending trio that blends elements of shoegaze, nu metal, grunge, and alternative pop into a sound that is heavy, hypnotic and always evolving. The band got its name when bassist and vocalist Hallie Gronquist snatched a baby bunny from the jaws of her cat and noticed a drop of baby bunny blood on her hand as she attempted to take it for medical care. Despite the sad situation, she immediately recognized a cool band name.
The set will be rounded out with two other Minneapolis bands and a local favorite. Minneapolis-based Mary Jam will bring some thrash punk vibes to the Treedome stage, so get ready to sweat. Your Last Breath will be bringing their brand of metalcore to the show while young Rochester locals Flowers 4 Guilt will show how their metalcore music has built a strong local following.
Riverside Concert with Vertical Horizon and Hair of the Dog
DATE + TIME: Sunday July 12 | 7:00pm
LOCATION: Mayo Memorial Park 30 Civic Center Drive SE
TICKETS: FREE
It’s time for Sunday funday. Formed in Washington D.C. in 1991, Vertical Horizon is possibly best known for its third album and title track “Everything You Want.” The song was certified as double platinum and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2000. In total, Vertical Horizon has released seven albums, and they are ready to bring their flavor of alternative rock to Rochester for a free concert with the whole community.
Hair of the Dog is led by Jeremy Jewell, one of Rochester’s musical icons. The band is just what you need the morning after a rough night. Its music is hard-hitting, and the band likes its guitars loud and its lyrics honest. In addition to Jewell on guitar and vocals, local musicians Tracy Sonnier plays guitar and sings, Mike Nesbit plays bass, and Erik Hendrickson plays drums. Pull up a lawn chair, pack your picnic or visit a food truck, and enjoy the people watching while you take in a free concert that is part of the Rochester Public Music’s Riverside Concert Series. This free concert is fun for the whole family.
Greentop with Active Transport
DATE + TIME: Saturday July 18 | 7:30 pm
LOCATION: Thesis Beer Project | 1929 2nd St SW, Rochester
TICKETS: $8
Make it an evening out when you grab some of the area’s best local beers and catch a pair of talented bands. Greentop, now based in Minneapolis, got its start in Rochester in 2017 as a solo project by Isaac Jahns. In the space of two short years, the project turned into a five-piece indie rock band. The band has put out several recordings including the 2018 album “Dumb Luck” and the 2024 record “Meadowlark.” Greentop’s latest EP is “Having Fun.” This crew brings some melody-heavy and pop-inflected tunes to life perfectly.
Greentop will be supported by Active Transport. Formed by five area teens, Active Trasport turned a biology lesson into a name for their indie rock band. Conner Esser is the guitarist, main songwriter, and founder of the Byron-based band. The lineup also includes drummer Evan Lujan, singer Madelyn Anderson, guitarist Gabby Holmes, and bassist DrewAnne Oestreich. Check out these up and comers and support local beer and music!
Riverside Concert with Tank and The Bangas and Danger Club
DATE + TIME: Sunday July 19 | 7:00 pm
LOCATION: Mayo Memorial Park 30 Civic Center Drive SE, Rochester
TICKETS: FREE
Wanting to hear a tangled mix of hip hop, rock, spoken word, and soul? We have the band for you. Tank and the Bangas is the perfect band to help you get funky on a Sunday night! Tank and the Bangas snuck into the national spotlight when they won the 2017 NPR Tiny Desk Concert competition. The band is based in New Orleans and has released three records. Their 2024 album “The Heart, The Mind, The Soul” won a Grammy for best spoken word poetry album. It’s time to get your mind right with a little groove and a dash of the poetic spirit.
The Minneapolis-based band Danger Club will launch the night with their funk, pop, and electronic groove music. With a little saxophone and danceable electro esthetics, this band will get you shakin’ it. Pull up a lawn chair, pack your picnic or visit a food truck, and enjoy the people watching while you take in a free concert that is part of the Rochester Public Music’s Riverside Concert Series. This free concert is fun for the whole family.
Hannah Harper with Papa Poppa Bear Norton | Benefitting Oronoco Fire Department and First Responders
DATE + TIME: Saturday July 25 |2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Mayo Civic Center
TICKETS: $99.65-$255.40
Hannah Harper hails from Willow Springs, Missouri, and is the winner of the 2026 season of American Idol. Harper is a country singer with a background in bluegrass and gospel. She performed for seven years with her family’s traveling bluegrass band, The Harper Collective, before deciding to stay home to raise her children. In May of 2025 she released a single called “String Cheese,” a song about postpartum depression. The song helped propel her to win American Idol.
The concert will also feature Jayce Schulte and Josh Ellefson of Arketype, a Minnesota-based hip-hop group, as well as a performance by Poppa Bear Norton. The concert is a benefit with proceeds going to support the Oronoco Fire Fighters Relief Association.
Riverside Concert with Mackenzie Carpenter with Kevin Daniel
DATE + TIME: Sunday July 26 | 7:00 pm
LOCATION: Mayo Memorial Park 30 Civic Center Drive SE, Rochester
TICKETS: FREE
It’s another chance to don your boots and cowboy hat! Mackenzie Carpenter, from Hull, Georgia has released two records including a self-titled debut in 2023 and her 2025 “Country Queen.” Carpenter’s songs, like “Dozen Red Flags,” “Only Girl,” and “Sound of a Heartbreak,” tell poignant stories and feature her melodic and twangy singing. She co-wrote every song on her latest album and is coming into her own as a well-loved country performer.
Kevin Daniel will open the night up with music he calls “Y’alternative Rock.” He’s a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with a flair for southern rock and gospel infused music. Pull up a lawn chair, pack your picnic or visit a food truck, and enjoy the people watching while you take in a free concert that is part of the Rochester Public Music’s Riverside Concert Series. This free concert is fun for the whole family.
