Upcoming show October 12: Enso Daiko

Ensō Daiko – Japanese Taiko Drumming – October 12, 2023

Dawson-Boyd Arts Association presents an energetic performance of Japanese Taiko Drumming featuring Ensō Daiko at Memorial Auditorium in Dawson on Thursday, October 12 at 7:00pm.

This energetic performance combines music, dance, culture and pure athleticism. Taiko is the Japanese work for drum and refers to the modern style of playing these drums. Wadaiko (in Japan) and kumi daiko (in North America) is movement infused, heart-pounding, dynamic group drumming. Think of it as a high energy performance art that combines music, dance, martial arts, athletics and culture.

Ensō Daiko’s time in Dawson will include an afternoon student performance for grades 3-12 as well as an exclusive drumming workshop for Dawson-Boyd High School’s Junior High and Senior High Bands. This activity is funded in part with a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council made possible by the voters of Minnesota, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Event sponsor for this event is AGP. Coffee from Marc’s on Main will be served in the lobby. Admission to the evening public performance is $20 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets are currently available online at dawsonboydartspresents.org or at the door or by calling the box office at 320-312-2311.

Upcoming show September 30: The High 48s Bluegrass Band

The High 48s Bluegrass Band: Meander Weekend Concert – September 30, 2023

Dawson-Boyd Arts Association announces the opening concert of its 23rd performing arts season with a concert by The High 48s Bluegrass Band during Meander Weekend on Saturday, September 30 at 7:00pm at Memorial Auditorium in Dawson.

Since forming in northeast Minneapolis in 2006, The High 48s have been making music that combines the soulful sound of classic bluegrass with a modern attitude. They’re a band with one foot in tradition and the other in the world of music today. The High 48s are also a band of songwriters. Here, too, they take a modern approach, heeding the well-worn advice to writers: write what you know. Their songs ring true to their lives as northern city-folk rather than an imagined “sweet, sunny south” of coal miners.

Event sponsors for this event are FM Bank, Pioneer PBS, and Norma Powers. Coffee from Marc’s on Main will be served in the lobby. Admission is $20 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets for the concert are currently available online at dawsonboydartspresents.org or through the box office at 320-312-2311. Concert tickets will also be available at the door.

June 24: Folsom Prison Experience features music of Johnny Cash Tickets on Sale now!

Dawson-Boyd Arts Association announces that tickets are now on sale for the Riverfest Weekend show, Folsom Prison Experience, at Memorial Auditorium on Saturday, June 24 at 7:00pm. Described as “an immersive tribute drama,” Folsom Prison Experience is a musical that merges live concert, stage drama, audience participation and interactive theater. The show recreates one of the most important days in Johnny Cash’s storied musical career – January 13, 1968 – when he and his entourage put on two shows for the inmates of California’s Folsom Prison.

At the center of the production is Church of Cash, the award-winning Johnny Cash tribute band featuring Jay Ernest as The Man in Black. Folsom Prison Experience was written by Ernest and his friend and collaborator Tom Pickard.

The critical and commercial reactions to Johnny Cash’s iconic 1968 live recording, At Folsom Prison, are well documented – a No. 1 smash that catapulted Cash to crossover stardom and cemented his reputation as an artist who didn’t play by the conventional rules.

Audiences are encouraged to become a part of the production by wearing inmate attire and consider themselves part of that same captive crowd that cheered during Cash’s 1968 concert.

Sneak Peek at Mike Brody show in Dawson MN on Feb 4

Dawson-Boyd Arts Association is presenting comedian Mike Brody on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 7:00pm at Hilltop Bar, Grill & Event Center with a meal option beginning at 6:15pm.

It’s going to be a great show and we thought a sneak peek might get your week started off right!

There are a limited number of tickets available for both the meal and the show due to the size of the venue; tickets for both the show and meal must be reserved in advance. The box office will be open on weekday mornings beginning Wednesday, January 25 from 9am-noon.

The pre-show meal includes a burger bar with fixings, salad & chips. Cash bar will be available throughout the evening.

Tickets for the show only may be purchased online. For more information or to reserve tickets for the meal and the show, call the box office at 320-312-2311.

Comedian Mike Brody to perform at Hilltop Bar & Grill in Dawson Feb. 4

Dawson-Boyd Arts Association presents comedian Mike Brody on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 7:00pm at Hilltop Bar, Grill & Event Center with a meal option beginning at 6:15pm.

Brody has spent the over 20 years touring the U.S. and internationally and has also been featured on the nationally syndicated radio program “The Bob & Tom Show” as well as the “The Dan Patrick Show” podcast. He’s recorded two comedy albums on Rooftop Comedy, with tracks regularly featured on SirusXM Satellite Radio. Brody can also be seen in his 2019 Dry Bar Comedy special “Not Afraid of Butterflies.”

Starting comedy on a whim at an open mic in the year 2000, Mike Brody has since devoted his life to perfecting the delivery of his high-energy act. Bucking the trend of the apathetic comedian, his genuine passion for his craft draws audience members into the unique world of Mike Brody: An affable, clever guy whose life is often derailed by his own neurotic, obsessive-compulsive and clumsy tendencies.

There are a limited number of tickets available for both the meal and the show due to the size of the venue; tickets for both the show and meal must be reserved in advance. The box office will be open on weekday mornings beginning Wednesday, January 25 from 9am-noon.

The pre-show meal includes a burger bar with fixings, salad & chips. Cash bar will be available throughout the evening.

Tickets for the show only may be purchased online. For more information or to reserve tickets for the meal and the show, call the box office at 320-312-2311.

Event sponsors are Phil & Tami Maus and Dick Berglund.

Local author Brent Olson at Dawson Public Library January 19

Dawson-Boyd Arts Association presents Minnesota author Brent Olson at the Dawson Public Library Mezzanine at 7pm on Thursday, January 19 at 7pm.

Olson, a lifelong resident of Big Stone County, has published eight books and as a journalist, has filed articles in his column “Independently Speaking” from 20 countries on six continents. Olson has served on dozens of boards and is currently a Big Stone County Commissioner.

In addition to the free event in the evening, Olson will be working with students at Dawson-Boyd Schools during the day.

Event sponsors are Peggy Crosby and David Pederson. There is no charge for this event. In case of inclement weather, this event will be postponed to January 26.

Holiday music, silent auction part of Dec. 3 concert at Memorial Auditorium

Audiences at the December 3 concert (Dennis Warner and the D’s!) will be treated to holiday music, treats and a chance to bid on the silent auction fundraiser at Memorial Auditorium.

Donated items include original artwork, hardangar, holiday baskets, handmade mittens and lefse. Bidding begin at 6:30pm.

Here are the items:

  • Framed white & blue framed hardangar handwork – from the Phil & Jean Maus collection
  • Signed & numbered framed etching print of a Viking ship on the high seas – from the Phil & Jean Maus collection
  • Holiday baskets from Pioneer PBS – one for adult; one for youth
  • Lefse by Mavis Hutt
  • Handmade woolen mittens
  • Extreme Chocolate Basket – donated by the DBAA Board

Proceeds from the auction will be designated to improvements to the newly-refreshed auditorium lobby.

Dennis Warner & The D’s to perform Dec 3, 2022

Dennis & the D’s – Dec 3

Dawson-Boyd Arts Association presents folk/Americana singer and entertainer Dennis Warner with his band, The D’s, at Memorial Auditorium in Dawson on Saturday, December 3 at 7:00pm. Warner blends humor, audience participation and thought-provoking music into a fun, memorable concert for adults and families.

Warner has toured extensively throughout all fifty of the United States and a large part of Canada, appearing numerous times on both television and radio. He has released eleven CDs and one children’s book. In recognition of his contributions as a songwriter, he was honored with an invitation to perform in concert at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Band members performing with Warner in Dawson include Dan Neale on guitar, mandolin and vocals; Dennis (DK) Kennedy on percussion; and Alex Maiers on bass and vocals.

Be sure to get there early for the silent auction.

Get tickets online

The OK Factor duo to visit Dawson October 27-29

The OK Factor – Oct 29

Dawson-Boyd Arts Association announces the second event of its season at Memorial Auditorium in Dawson – the talented and dynamic string duo, The OK Factor, performing on Saturday, October 29 at 7:00pm.

Playful and unexpected, new-classical crossover duo The OK Factor writes and performs folk-inspired music influenced by multiple genres and styles, with an artistry that reveals their classical training. Cellist Olivia Diercks and violinist Karla Colahan find great joy in defying expectations and delivering an experience outside of what audiences anticipate from a cello and violin combo. Their passion for performing and educational outreach has continued to bring them success in communities across the Midwest and abroad, inviting audiences to explore music and cultivate a curiosity about its role in their lives.

The OK Factor’s time in Dawson will include outreach sessions with the school district orchestra students, performing at the Johnson Memorial Care Center and other community appearances. Details will be on the Dawson-Boyd Arts Association website (here) and Facebook page.

Event sponsors for this event are Ralph & Sue Gerbig, FM Bank and Gary & Ingrid Larson.

Tickets are available online, at the door or by calling 320-312-2311.

Prior to the concert, the Dawson-Boyd Arts Association will hold its annual meeting in the Dawson-Boyd Commons beginning at 6:30pm.