Singer-songwriter Danny Frank has curated an all-star cast of seasoned musicians: banjoist Harrison Olk, bassist Joe Scarpellino, and fiddle virtuoso Erin Aldridge. Their sound fuses soulful vocals, rich harmonies, and masterful instrumentation, drawing from folk, bluegrass, country, classic rock and blues. With a fresh take on Americana, Danny Frank & the Smoky Gold deliver an engaging, toe-tapping experience that captivates audiences with both heart and skill.

Fiddle player Brandy Forsman and banjo ace Tom Maloney formed Four Mile Portage nearly 20 years ago, naming their act after a Boundary Waters portage. The couple met at the University of Minnesota Duluth in 1996 and later married while serving as Peace Corps volunteers teaching in Kenya. They play old-time Appalachia fiddle tunes for the Tamarack Dance Association and have delighted audiences across Minnesota and Wisconsin by getting people dancing at parties and weddings or simply playing tunes. By day they work at Harbor City International School.

Members of 500 Million Society know rocking as hard as The Seeds, Joy Division, Mudhoney, The Hives, Deep Purple and The Dead Boys (with a little Phil Spector thrown in) won’t save the world. But shaking your ass might make life a little better. Art punks Dicky Brooks, Jim Hagstrom, Paul Broman and Tim Nelson formed 500 Million Society more than 15 years ago to fight global elites, unspeakably powerful families, currupt financiers and media overlords with their music. “We should meet darkness with darkness, make it bouncy, deep, epic and fuzzy,” Nelson said. “And confront the inevitable with an extended middle finger.”

Honkey-tonk band Father Hennepin, led by Homegrown Music Festival founder Scott “Starfire” Lunt, holds the distinction of having played the festival more times than any other act. Counting unofficial live-stream performances during the pandemic, this year marks the 25th time the Fat Hens will play Homegrown. Flanking Starfire are Ted Anderson on guitar, Bob Olson on bass, Jimi Cooper on guitar, Susan Ludwig on keyboard and accordion, and Jim Hagstrom on drums. The band’s studio album, Crooked With Gin, came out in 2001. The group leans into sounds from soft rock to twangy country, with heartfelt lyrics to boot.