Forged through friendship and a love of music, **Sidewalk Diamonds** play what they call "Garage Americana," a soulful blend of rock and Americana with a raucous spirit. It all started in 2020 when Tony Thomas (Five Easy Pieces, Man Afraid, Anchorhead, Dog and Tony Show) invited Beth Pyper-Holz (The Birdy Four, The Betsies, Pyper) to sing on his Dog and Tony Show album, Only Love Resides. What began as an impromptu recording session sparked a creative partnership, leading to the creation of Beth’s Pyper project and the Heartbreaker EP. Rounded out by Nick Pyper-Holz (Anchorhead, The Betsies) on drums, Bill Connell (Flood) on bass, and Jeff Peterson (Ass Champs, Pueblo Revolt, SME, The Dave Markland 5) on "other guitar", Sidewalk Diamonds is more than a band—it’s a cross-country road trip in a VW minivan, where the heat and air conditioning might fail, but the friendships and music make it all worthwhile. The band’s name is a nod to the John Prine lyric, “from the diamonds on the sidewalk, to the dirt in the gutter,” encapsulating the group’s balance between grit and grace. That duality shines through in their music, led by the unmistakable vocal harmonies of Beth and Tony, who share a mutual admiration for artists like Neko Case and PJ Harvey. With their upcoming record Dreams of Dance Floors dropping on February 14, 2025, Sidewalk Diamonds delivers songs that are heartfelt, a little rough around the edges, and full of earnest fun. Regardless of what you call it, their approach is simple: “We don’t know what we’re doing—we’re just having fun.”

South Minneapolis is haunted by the sound of noisy post-punk rock with a healthy slice of Americana twang. The band bringing this ruckus: the **Creekside Ruffians**. They might come across as chill, mild-mannered guys, but the music is anything but. The Creekside Ruffians are: Steve Alpers (bass, vocals), Paul Jones (drums), and Keith Pille (guitar, vocals).

Years ago, **John Magnuson** was in a Minneapolis band called the Carpetbaggers. John wrote and sang many of the band's songs. In November of 2020, John released an Indie/Folk-Rock-ish record (with splashes of twang) called Barely Noticeable. His eponymous trio consists of Paul McFarland (Run Westy Run, Lolo's Ghost) on bass and John Sandbo (Curtiss A and the Dark Click) on drums.

This is an All Ages event

Presented by Cloudland.

Cloudland

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Sidewalk Diamonds, Creekside Ruffians, John Magnuson Trio +

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Cloudland Theater

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