These musicians just can’t quit Minnesota in the winter

The dead of winter will come alive again with residency gigs in Twin Cities music venues. The Cactus Blossoms and Charlie Parr have announced returns of their popular, long-running January series at the Turf Club, which often sell out. Parr will again perform every Sunday at the historic St. Paul watering hole, with tickets on sale Friday. Already on sale, the CBs’ shows return every Monday throughout the month. Each week in both series features different setlists and guests (listed below). A more recent winter fixture, Lissie will resume her series at the Parkway Theater for the fourth January in a row. The Iowa folk-rocker of “When I’m Alone” radio fame (and “Loudermilk” Netflix TV rotation) is booked to play the south Minneapolis neighborhood theater every Saturday starting Jan. 9. She’s also throwing in a bonus Friday gig Jan. 29. Advertisement From her farm in northeast Iowa — upriver from her native Rock Island, Ill. — Lissie has adopted the Twin Cities as a home base of sorts for her music career, regularly employing members of Rogue Valley and other Twin Cities musicians for backers. She usually mixes up her Parkway run to include a couple shows with a full band and others with more stripped-down configurations. Details of this year’s game plan were still being finalized when tickets went on sale Wednesday. Parr and the Cactus Blossoms mostly have their January shows mapped out. Expanded image view The Cactus Blossoms lit up the Turf Club in 2020 as part of their annual January residency at the St. Paul venue where they cut their teeth. ( The Minnesota Star Tribune ) Among the guests slated to join Parr are Trampled by Turtles’ Dave Simonett, viral acoustic guitar instructor Tony Polecastro and Nashville songwriter Maisy Owen. The acoustic folk/blues maestro’s shows were announced a little later than usual to avoid spoiling his State Theatre gig in late October. It celebrated his new Smithsonian Folkways LP , “Rooming House.”