The Homegrown Music Festival is Duluth, Minnesota's annual showcase of local music from the Arrowhead region, which includes Minnesota's Iron Range and communities on the north and south shores of Lake Superior. The event has grown from featuring 10 local acts in 1999 to roughly 200 in recent years. It happens every year during the first week of May. The 25th annual Homegrown is scheduled for April 30 to May 7, 2023.
Notable acts that have performed in the festival include: Low, Trampled by Turtles, Charlie Parr, Retribution Gospel Choir, Gaelynn Lea, the Keep Aways, the Black Eyed Snakes and Haley Bonar.
The event was originally a for-profit venture, but became a nonprofit in 2006. Melissa La Tour is the festival director.
Pre-history
Duluthian Scott Lunt, known as "DJ Starfire" or simply "Starfire," became a prominent figure in the Duluth music scene in 1997 when he founded Random Radio, an unlicensed low-power station. With about 40 friends volunteering to broadcast shows from his basement in Duluth's East Hillside neighborhood, Lunt became well acquainted with Duluth musicians and traveling musicians, who would perform live on random broadcasts. Lunt made a connection with the NorShor Theatre when it hosted a CD release party assisted by Rick Boo, NorShor manager and local music promoter.
For Lunt's 30th birthday, he invited five acts to play at a private party at Lafayette Square in Duluth's Park Point neighborhood. One of those bands was his own, Father Hennepin, performing for the first time. That event is considered the precursor of the Homegrown Music Festival.
1999
In February 1999, Lunt was playing cribbage with friends and reminiscing about his 30th birthday party. During the conversation, he decided to hold another party, this time open to the general public, called the Homegrown Music Festival.
The first Homegrown was held at the NorShor Theatre's Mezzanine Lounge over two nights, attracting about 1,000 people. Ten bands performed: Father Hennepin, Giljunko, Max Dakota, the Black Labels, Amy Abts, Gild, Crazy Betty, Ballyhoo, 2 Sleepy People and the First Ladies.
2000
The second annual Homegrown expanded to include 22 acts. The NorShor's main theater opened as a second stage, and acoustic acts played the Fitger's Brewhouse. A third night was added to the festival for the Thursday night Starfire Lounge, during which DJ Starfire spun music by local bands.
This Homegrown is best remembered for raucous sets by the Black Eyed Snakes and Giljunko in the NorShor mezzanine. Al Sparhawk's father sat in with the 'Snakes. Giljunko's set actually steamed up the NorShor mezzanine's wall of mirrors.
Ripsaw reporter David Stein noted that the First Ladies "saved Homegrown from the villain Hu Phlung Pu and his evil minions in hand-to-hand combat that spilled off the stage and onto the dance floor in a tangle of hula-hoops and toilet paper streams."
Other memorable moments included the Dames opening their set with a kazoo version of "The Star-Spangled Banner," the Black Labels passing out marijuana cigarettes to the audience, Father Hennepin performing with a ten-member choir and Ballyhoo closing the festival with a cover of "Sympathy for the Devil."
This was the first year a kickball game was played between the bands that played on Friday and the bands that played on Saturday. The Saturday Rollers defeated the Friday Rawkers by a score of 7-6.
2001
In its third year, Homegrown featured 38 acts at four locations over three nights. Beaner's Central and the Red Lion Lounge were added as venues. This was the first year Charlie Parr and Low played the festival (though Low performed as a two-piece, without bassist Zak Sally). Mayor Gary Doty signed a proclamation declaring Homegrown Music Festival Weekend in the city of Duluth.
2002
The fourth Homegrown expanded to include 67 acts playing four nights at eight venues. A change in city law prior to the festival allowed clubs with cabaret licenses to obtain extended hours permits for dancing and live music. This led to a raucous performance by the Black-eyed Snakes at Pizza Lucé during the wee hours of the night/morning featuring what may be the first documented case of crowd surfing at a pizza restaurant.
2003
Homegrown expanded to five days in its fifth year, and included 77 acts. Notable moments included Scott Lunt shaving his hair into a mohawk, foul-mouthed country singer Brad Nailer playing on the sidewalk in front of the NorShor Theater, and Geek Prom Queen AnnMarie O'Malley crowd-surfing with her crown on.