Prairie Public’s ‘Prairie Musicians’ plugs in for another season of live music broadcasts – InForum

FARGO — The beat goes on for Prairie Public TV’s “Prairie Musicians.”

A new season of the show, which features sets of original material from regional artists, kicks off at 9 p.m. on Thursday, March 19 and runs every Thursday night through April.

“You may have heard of some of these acts, but to see them live is such a wonderful experience,” said the show’s producer, Barb Gravel. “That’s one of my hopes for the series — to inspire viewers to enjoy local music and bring people back out to hear live music.”

This season features regional acts that traveled to Prairie Public’s Downtown Fargo studios for a recording, engineered by Livewire.

While previous seasons have featured 10 acts, this year Gravel said Prairie Public made the decision to do seven. The network is allotting more resources to food programming, with a number of short features for the upcoming “Prairie Mosaic” series.

“I’m really excited about the North Dakota acts,” Gravel said, adding that they had both been on her wish list.

The Pick City, N.D., trio MoonCats help set the tone for the season on opening night.

“They are amazing. They get the audience stomping their feet,” she said.

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The trio was recommended by the North Dakota Council on the Arts, which helps fund the series, along with the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

The trio mixes guitar, banjo, stand-up bass and washboard to deliver an electrifying acoustic set.

“They give us a down-home, North Dakota view of the prairies. It’s really kitschy and homey,” Gravel said.

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This is the first year of “Prairie Musicians” without a Fargo-Moorhead-based act, but Katy Tessman considers the area second home. While she lives in the Twin Cities, when she came to the taping with her son, guitarist Sweet Lou, she showed him around her old stomping grounds and her alma mater, Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Tessman’s music is inspired by her experiences with cancer.

“Her music comes from the wisdom and strength of being and working with cancer survivors,” Gravel said. “It’s healing music she brings to her audience. She’s a great addition to the lineup.”

The producer said there may have been a subconscious theme of healing and well-being when picking the acts, as wellness was a topic for the Fergus Falls, Minn.-based Winter Sloths.

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“Their lyrics weave a dialogue of mental health and personal growth. It’s so creatively woven through their lyrics. They were so much fun,” she said.

Another Lakes-area act brings a different sound. Darren Quam & Friends is from Battle Lake, Minn., but some of his music is inspired by trips to Mexico and Costa Rica.

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“When they can bring these flavors to their original stuff, that’s great,” Gravel said.

When he’s not playing Carlos Creek Winery, Alexandria, Minn.-based Ben Stoeck is often on the road touring and playing gigs. Gravel said she was lucky to catch him on his way back to Alexandria to record a set of his Americana music.

Another act on the move is Ham Lake, Minn., singer/songwriter Emma Josephine. The recent Mankato State University graduate is planning on relocating to Nashville, Tenn., this spring, so Gravel was happy to book her when she did.

“There’s a lot of nostalgic looks at growing up in Minnesota and going to college in her music,” she said.

Contributed / Prairie Public

The season ends April 30 with another suggestion from the NDCA: pop-folk singer/songwriter Alma Cook from Williston.

“They wanted to feature someone giving back in a healthy way,” Gravel said.

Cook works with community members in Williston, developing music appreciation.

“She’s bringing people together to explore interests. She’s the most inviting person. She’s really a treasure for Western North Dakota when it comes to music.”