Then and Now.
On April 13, 1917 the state of Minnesota passed the Sedition Act, or the IWW bill as it was called, and on September 29,1917 in Beltrami county, Jesse Dunning was sentenced to two years in prison under this new law.  Jesse was the acting secretary of the local IWW office in Bemidji.  It was the first conviction of it's kind and his case laid the legal framework for other convictions around the country under the federal Espionage Act and Sedition Act.  I was born and have lived nearly all my life in Beltrami County, but I didn't learn about this history until I delved a little deeper into the music and history of the IWW labor movement.
​
In honor of Jesse Dunning, and others from Eugene Debs to Chelsea Manning, who have lost their freedom under this repressive legislation, starting April 13th and continuing through to the end of the month, I will be releasing all 18 songs from Hallelujah! I'm a Bum, 2nd ed.  I am excited to share my research and new music with you all, as well as continue this important work with many more editions to come in the future!  In the words of the late, great Utah Phillips, "These are people's songs so you damn we'll ought to learn how to sing 'em."

You can pre-order the album here.

The tour is well under way and going AMAZINGLY well.  You can find more info here: https://www.facebook.com/events/980155242075357/
​Hope to see ya'll at a show real soon!

I have been hard at work trying to juggle a million things over the past 9 months.  My day job had some unforeseen changes that made it necessary to work longer hours there, and put my music projects on hold.  The album has been coming along slowly but surely despite this little hiccup, and I am excited to announce that I will be cutting back work at my day job to focus more of my attention on music.  It's a big risk and an exciting opportunity for me.  Look for a tour out West and for Collecting Anchors to be released sometime in April.

Tonight I launched a kickstarter campaign for my new album.  You can check it out here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1663565365/collecting-anchors-full-length-album

Here is the long version:


I am back at home in Bemidji from tour, and we just finished up with the first two days of recording for my new album, "Collecting Anchors" which I am super excited to announce will be coming out this fall.  We wrapped up the drums played by the fabulous Owen Weaver and the bass rocked out by the incomparable Garrett Verke this weekend.  Now I am hard at work getting the guitar and vocal parts ready to record in May and June.  There will also be a few other special guests on this album including some amazing cello playing by my friend Brenna Sahatjian from the Portland-based band Strangeweather. 

I am more excited about this project than I have ever been about any other album I have done, and I am reaching out to let you know that I am community funding this through a kickstarter campaign that just launched this evening.  I've been kicking around the idea, pun intended, for a little while now.  I am really invested in this album and these songs.  I don't want to record in the way I always have, rushing through the process to keep the costs low/within my personal means.  I want to take the time to get it right, and I also want to collaborate and bring other artists into the process.  This album will be the first full length album I have done with a band.  Part of the process that is also really important to me is paying my fellow musicians and other artists contributing to the project a fair wage.  
 
Garrett, Owen and I have already laid down the drums and bass and the tracks are amazing!!   I've been dancing around my living room nonstop listening to them. I am so excited to get back in the studio,and to get this album into your hands this fall.  Thank you all so much for your  continued support of my music, and for considering supporting my latest album, "Collecting Anchors" in any of these ways:
 
* You can donate here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1663565365/collecting-anchors-full-length-album

 * You can share it on Facebook periodically throughout the campaign.
 
* You can send a personal message or email including a link to this campaign to folks who may be interested in supporting this project.
 
Much love from Bemidji!
Shannon 

I'm East Coast Bound in March/April.

Here are a list of tentative cities/states.  As always your suggestions and demands are welcome:

Mankato, MN
Iowa, City, IA
Lafayette, IN
Huntington, WV
DC
Baltimore
Philadelphia, PA
NYC
Boston
New Hampshire- wherever Susan Cook tells me to play
Vermont, lovely Vermont
Binghamton, NY
Ithaca, NY
Pittsburgh, PA
Cleveland, OH
Madison, WI
Minneapolis, MN

PEOPLE's MUSIC: SONGS OF THE INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD

I am hitting the road for 4 days and will be playing in a lovely, little library near you in September.  I'll be doing a special set of IWW labor tunes, and some original music inspired by the IWW with a slide show and some local history thrown in the mix.  Hope to see you there!

Tour Schedule:

LONGVILLE, MN
Tuesday, September 2nd
11am
Margaret Welch Memorial Library 
5051 St. Hwy 84
Phone (218) 363-2710

CASS LAKE, MN 
Tuesday, September 2nd
6:30pm
Cass Lake Community Library
223 Cedar
Phone (218)335-8865

PARK RAPIDS, MN
Wednesday, September 3rd
1pm 
Park Rapids Area Library
210 W. First St.
Phone (218) 732-4966 

WADENA, MN
Wednesday, September 3rd
4pm 
Wadena City Library
304 First St. SW
Phone (218)631-2476 

CROSSLAKE, MN
Thursday, September 4th
12:30pm 
Crosslake Area Library
14126 Daggett Pine Rd
Phone: 218-692-7323

BRAINERD, MN
Thursday, September 4th
4pm 
Brainerd Public Library 
416 S. 5th Street
Phone: (218) 829-5574 

PINE RIVER
Thursday, September 4th
7:30pm 
Pine River Public Library 
212 Park Ave.
Phone (218)587-4639

PEQUOT LAKES, MN
Friday, September 5th
10am 
Pequot Lakes Community Library
31069 County Rd. 112
Phone: 218-568-6181

WALKER, MN
Friday, September 5th
2pm 
Walker Public Library
207 4th St.
Phone (218)547-1019

BLACKDUCK, MN
Friday, September 5th
6:30pm
Blackduck Community Library
72 First St. SE
Phone (218)835-6600

These events are for all ages and are funded by the Legacy Amendment.

Here are the almost finalized tour dates.  Hope to see you all there and spread the word if you feel so inclined.

Saturday, May 31st 
Minneapolis, MN 
Minnehaha Free Space
w/ The Ungrateful Little String Band
7pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/668491323200113/

Sunday, June 1st
Iowa City, IA
Uptown Bills
7pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/1420756211531132/

Monday, June 2nd
Ritual Cafe
Des Moines, IA
5-6:30pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/299928160176160/

Tuesday, June 3rd
Lawrence, KS
House Show
Contact me for details

Wednesday, June 4th
Norman, OK
House Show
Contact me for details 

Thursday, June 5th
Fort Worth, TX
1919 Hemphill 
7pm
w/ Noralee Roberts, Cheap Haircuts, Heavy Boots 
https://www.facebook.com/events/234914803371866/

Friday, June 6th
Dallas, TX
Wild Detectives
7pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/286967494806560/

Monday, June 9th
Springfield, MO
w/ Ryan Harvey, James Bar Bowen, and Nora & Gnoll
https://www.facebook.com/events/706439882741657/

Tuesday, June 10th
Fayetteville, AR
w/Ryan Harvey, and James Bar Bowen

Wednesday, June 11th
TBA

Thursday, June 12th
Livery Company
St. Louis, MO
8:30pm
w/ Adhamh Roland, Dana Anderson, County Graves, and Cree Rider

Friday, June 13th
Catholic Worker House
7pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/228904647320669/?ref=23

Saturday, June 14th
Chicago, IL- Ribcage
7pm
w/ Theater of the Oppressed Chicago

Sunday, June 15th
Milwaukee, WI
Bremen Cafe
10PM-1AM
w/ local acts TBA
https://www.facebook.com/events/1475213466047266

Monday, June 16th 
Madison, WI
TBA

Tuesday, June 17th
Winona, MN
The Burrow
More details soon

I am officially back on the road this June.  I'll be touring through the middle-of-the country and would love to see you all out at a show.  Check out dates in the tour section and hit me up if you have any ideas for venues or want to host a house concert.