Working day and night in his secret underground laboratory, the Mad Violin Scientist develops new innovative ways to control sounds and visuals with his violin. Expect to witness a show of electronic dance music mixed with violin, an accompanying light show and the raw power of science unleashed. As intimidating and awesome as that sounds, the Mad Violin Scientist is simply the creation of Nick Hyde, a University of Minnesota Duluth graduate who takes his classical violin talents to weddings and other events. “I like the opportunity to don the mad scientist costume and create a crazy electronic music show,” Hyde said. “I like showcasing cool-looking violins (some of which I invented in whole, or parts of) and Homegrown is such a good opportunity for that.”

To understand the real sound of Midwest indie rock, look no further than Lovehouse. Starting in Duluth and now operating out of Minneapolis, vocalist and rhythm guitar player Henry Seymour, lead guitarist Parker Ruedy, drummer Santos Cisneros and bassist Kevin Fischer play mellow but upbeat tunes with relatable lyrics and bright guitars. At Homegrown, Lovehouse will be playing songs from its 2022 EP Shades of Red, as well as new material.

Two brothers inspired by Bob Dylan … a tale as old as time. Both John and Brian Lindula caught the Duluth bug and fell in love with bluegrassy, old-timey tunes — giving them the bright idea for their own musical pair, The Lindula Brothers. They have been performing together since 2012 and recorded their first album in 2020. Their interest in folk culture pushed them to explore the globe in search of the perfect sound that would feature guitar, mandolin and banjo. On these travels, John wrote some original songs based on English and Irish folk roots, eventually bringing them back to Duluth.

Catchy pop-rock music is the driving force leading Life Parade down the sonic avenues of Duluth. The band is fronted by singer/guitarist Cameron Mathews, who started planting seeds for the project in 2014, with the efforts culminating in the 2019 album Suburban Life. The sound is reminiscent of late 1990s indie-rock radio hits, while still maintaining a fresh, modern vibe. Members of the now-defunct band The Resonance have rounded out Mathews’ songs in recent years. The lineup features Dan Munthe on keys and guitar, Cliff Lavigne on bass, Mike Bernier on guitar and Scott Kimball on drums.