In his one-man comedic musical circus, Steve Solkela plays two-dozen instruments while singing in multiple languages and genres. He might also cruise around on a unicycle or tromp around on stilts … possibly while playing accordion. Don’t think he’s letting his array of talents go to his head, though. “I don’t think I’m better than everybody else,” he said. “Most of my band equipment came from a dumpster and is covered in duct tape. There’s no reason for me to be anything but humble.” A new album, Jenkkihymy: Finnish Fun with Steve Solkela was released in January. The album sold out during his tour of Finland, but Solkela remains modest about that, too: “I only brought 40 copies.”

Sterling Silver Studio is a performing arts school that was founded in Superior in 1991. Over the past three decades, it has had the opportunity to entertain crowds, both nationally and internationally. The organization has been built on the foundation of using the performing arts as a springboard to teach young people the importance of teamwork, self-confidence, community involvement, balancing pride and humility, and using talent to influence positive social change. The performing arts school serves more than 350 students weekly.

Laid back singer-songwriter Brian Stelmaszewski has performed across the Twin Ports in bands and duos for more than two decades. As a solo artist, Stel features his trusty acoustic guitar and rich, mellow voice on both classic covers and originals. While he typically includes work from crowd pleasers like the Beatles, Willie Nelson and Crosby, Stills & Nash in a set, Stel promises to do all original songs during his 2025 Homegrown performance.

The four-piece band Stardust Collective performs original songs that explore the outer reaches of rock through soaring harmonies and skilled musicianship. Songwriters Aaron Tank and Eric Bong address themes of love, spirituality, hope, politics, beauty and the possibilities of the human spirit through a creative and textured sound as big and bright as the northern lights. A typical Stardust Collective performance sees Tank and Bong swap between guitar and bass, while drummer Amy Ugstad builds a solid foundation for blast off. Shawna Weaver adds the extraterrestrial magic with her intuitive work on violin and keyboards.