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Duluth Dylan Fest

Ides of May Friday, May 17, 6 p.m. Wussow’s If you missed the Ides of March, in which local musicians are randomly joined together in impromptu bands covering songs by national acts, here’s a repeat show back by popular demand. “The Fame” does Lady Gaga, “Mac Miller Lite” does Mac Miller, “Beezer” does Weezer Bsides, and “Death of a Party” does Every Time I Die.

STEAM Festival Saturday, May 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Duluth Depot A day of science, technology, engineering, art, math and music activities and info for kids in grades K-5. There will be hands-on experiments, interesting exhibits and interactive activities from incredible local organizations including the Lake Superior Zoo, Great Lakes Aquarium, DNA robotics, Alworth Planetarium, Minnesota Ballet, DSSO, Lake Superior Railroad Museum and many more.  

Indigenous Writer Series Saturday, May 18, 2-4 p.m. Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center AICHO’s series continues with this event featuring Minnesota Poet Laureate Gwen Westerman and Duluth novelist Linda LeGarde Grover. They will talk about their work, read excerpts, participate in Q&A segments and sign books. 

Grand Marais Ole Opry VII Saturday, May 18, 7:30 p.m. Arrowhead Center for the Arts Popular showcase offers a lively mix of classic country, old-time, and bluegrass music. This year features headliners Honky-Tonk Jump, playing Texas dance hall music in the tradition of Bob Wills, Milton Brown, Ernest Tubb and Spade Cooley, with a sprinkling of Hank Williams and other early honky-tonk legends.

Duluth Dylan Fest May 20-26 Multiple locations Celebrating our native son’s birthday (May 24) with a week of activities including an acoustic jam session Tuesday, the Basement Tapes Band Wednesday, a front porch party at his birth home Friday, a dance party and lecture Saturday and a closing brunch Sunday. See the calendar for details.

Cactus Blossoms Sunday, May 19, 8 p.m. Sacred Heart Brothers Jack Torrey and Page Burkum’s performances deliver a soulful, ’70s-inspired palette of playful Wurlitzer, breezy guitars, muscular percussion and airtight harmonies.They broke out nationally in 2016, receiving raves from the New York Times and NPR, who praised “the brothers’ extraordinary singing.”

pat mAcdonald Wednesday, May 22, 7:30 p.m. The West Theatre Since his techno-folk pioneering Timbuk3 days, mAcdonald has been tinkering in relative obscurity. His one-man electro-blues experiments of the late ’90s/early 2000s led to the Lowebow-driven proto-rock of Purgatory Hill. Life-threatening illness in 2016 brought a long pause. Now, five years cancer-free, he’s writing, rediscovering the six-string and reanimating his pre-T3 acoustic roots with finger-style remakes from his back catalog.