Val Son, Kansas Plates and St. Anthony Mann at 7th Street Entry

Val Son is a four-piece band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, with members having cut their teeth in the Twin Cities music scene for nearly two decades. Combining varied life and musical experiences, Val Son exists as a collaborative and DIY project. Sonically, they're inspired by bands like Low and Pedro the Lion, while lyrically they draw influence from narrative greats like Lucinda Williams and Townes Van Zandt.

Kansas Plates is an instrumental project that sets no boundaries. Imagining a world where Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed moved to Germany to join Can instead of settling down in Nashville, Kansas Plates finds the thread between genres and knits a pair of socks. The band, consisting of members Patrick Horigan (guitar), Zach Brose (guitar), Cole Pulice (sax), Kyle Berman (drums), and Zack Warpinski (bass), released their first collection of music entitled Operator in April 2019. It is best accompanied by a long drive and an open window.

Playing experimental indie folk enlivened by obscure arrangements and poetic lyrics, St. Anthony Mann is the stage name of Adam Bjoraker. What felt much like a personal debut after self-producing an EP and an LP, LISSI came forth like a marvelous wound amidst the early pandemic. JT Bates co-produced the record and features, as does Michael Lewis, Pieta Brown, as well as bandmates Ben McKeown (drums), Matt Tessier (bass), DJ LaFonstee (guitar), all influencing and helping to give the band a signature sound.