Live Variety Radio Show Heading to Pequot Lakes April 9

PEQUOT LAKES, MINN. — KAXE/KBXE’s quirky live variety radio show is headed to the Pequot Lakes High School auditorium on Saturday, April 9, at 5 p.m. The traveling variety program, produced by independent NPR affiliate Northern Community Radio, explores life in small towns and off-the-beaten-path places through comedy, stories and music.

Producer and host Aaron Brown leads a regular cast along with guest performers, musicians, and storytellers in a two hour romp through local legend and real life, celebrating the talent and culture of northern Minnesota. Each show seeks to celebrate its unique location and the people who make it special for a much wider audience.

“Pequot Lakes has been on our radar for a while,” said Brown, an author and blogger from the Iron Range. “We’re glad to finally bring our old-timey show to Cass County.  We can’t wait to explore Pequot Lakes and bring in some great music for a great night of entertainment.”

“We always joke about our show being like a 21st Century version of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland doing a big show in the barn. This time our barn is a high school auditorium.”

Reina del Cid

Musical performers include Reina del Cid.  The Star Tribune wrote “One of the hotter new bands in the Twin Cities . . . Infectiously folksy and fiendishly fun.” Their latest CD “The Cooling” has gotten rave reviews and the band has performed more than 300 shows over two years both in their hometown and on national tours.  Local hometown favorite band Last Call will also perform including Brainerd natives Katie Wig, Mitchell Gerard, Duncan Vinje and Nick Schwen. Rounding out the lineup are brothers Jacob and Owen Mahon from Walker who perform as Hog Rooster and describe their sound as funk, folk and rock.  Katie Houg of Bemidji is the Great Northern Radio show keyboardist.

The Great Northern Radio Players include Duluth’s Louisa Scorich, Sara Breeze of Bemidji, C.J. Anderson and Lauren Nickisch of Pequot Lakes, Nancy Wlaller of Breezy Point and Dave Veiths of Brainerd. Other guest include former Pequot Lakes mayor Nancy Adams and Brainerd poet Doris Stengel.

The program airs live on KAXE/KBXE at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 9^th.  Tickets cost is $10 for adults, but are free for children and college students with IDs. Audience must be in their seats by 4:30. Seating is limited. Call to order tickets in advance at 800-662-5799 or see www.kaxe.org.

The April 9^th Great Northern Radio Show will air live on 89.9 FM Brainerd,  91.7 FM KAXE in Grand Rapids, Aitkin and the Iron Range, 90.5 KBXE Bagley and Bemidji and 103.9 FM in Ely. The show is also rebroadcast on independent public radio stations throughout Minnesota and distributed as a live stream and podcast at www.kaxe.org.

The Great Northern Radio Show is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund with support from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Culture and Tourism grant program and the Blandin Foundation.