Joshua Radin emerged in 2004 as an empathetic, engaging, and often enthralling troubadour. Over the years, he’s tallied north of 1 billion streams, moved 1 million-plus albums worldwide, and scored a gold certification for the single “I’d Rather Be With You.” His music has appeared in over 200 films, television series, and commercials. In addition to multiple showstopping appearances on Ellen (who also enlisted him to perform at her wedding) and Today Show, and performances on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!, and Conan, he contributed “Brand New Day” to a commercial in support of the troops at the request of First Ladies Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden. Not to mention, he’s a staunch philanthropist who supports Little Kids Rock and North Shore Animal League America (NSALA), among others. Thus far his catalog consists of nine full-length offerings highlighted by fan favorites such as We Were Here, Simple Times, Underwater, Wax Wings, and Here, Right Now.

Following the release of his 2021 acclaimed album The Ghost and The Wall, Joshua left his material existence in the rearview, grabbed a backpack, packed his guitar, picked up a pen and a pad, hit the road in search of new stories to tell. Those stories comprise though the world will tell me so, part 1 [Nettwerk], the first of a pair of forthcoming EPs. Hear his stories tonight from the Cedar stage.

On Friday, September 29th we celebrate the release of Shadowlands, a stunning, genre-bending collection of songs that combines the warmth and beauty of S. Carey’s aesthetic with the improvisational, spontaneous nature of John Raymond’s. The music ranges from intimate and meditative to soaring and anthemic, with electric moments of musical interplay throughout. It’s the kind of collaboration that feels as if it were years in the making. Opening the night of great friendship and musical collaboration, is the stunning Hemma.

Night three of Global Roots Festival will close out with La Perla and Waahli! La Perla is a trio of Colombian women creating bombastic, percussive music with tight vocal harmonies by weaving gaitas, hand-drums and folk singing together. To wrap our festival, Montreal-based Waahli will take the stage, mixing Haitian influences from his early years into his tri-lingual hip-hop, rapping in French, English, and Creole. Come dance to their irresistible grooves and celebrate a lovely finale to this year’s festival!

Night two of Global Roots Festival features Madalitso Band and Ethiocolor! Originally Malawi street buskers, Madalitso Band blends Chichewa and Ngoni ceremonial music into irresistible bliss, getting audiences moving and grooving to the guitar, suitcase bass drum, and babatoni. Hailing from Addis Ababa, Ethiocolor (led by the legendary Melaku Belay) share ground-shaking Ethiopian Azmari culture through song and dance. Though we’ve had Fendika and Melaku before, we’re excited to welcome the full Ethiocolor ensemble for the first time! It’s impossible to tear yourself away once Belay leaps into motion, with Ethiocolor laying down intoxicating funk grooves on traditional instruments; it’s palpable joy in every second, when it’s clear everyone on stage and around it are exactly where they want to be.

Born in Montreal of Haitian parents, Waahli joins us for a special, intimate gathering at Alliance Française. He’ll play a few solo acoustic renditions of his songs, share a bit about himself and his art in a Q&A, and will spend some time meeting attendees.

Night one of Global Roots Festival kicks off with Ana Everling and House of Waters! Originally from Moldova, but now Chicago-based, Ana Everling will open the festival with her haunting singing, sharing music inspired by Romanian folklore. To close the night, House of Waters takes the stage with a wildly indescribable fusion of genres and musical traditions the world over. With Max ZT revolutionizing the hammer dulcimer and Moto Fukushima constantly innovating on bass, don’t miss night one as they share songs from their new album due out this fall via Snarky Puppy’s GroundUP label.

Portland, OR-based singer, songwriter, and producer John Craigie adapts moments of solitude into stories perfectly suited for old Americana fiction anthologies. Instead of leaving them on dog-eared pages, he projects them widescreen in flashes of simmering soul and folk eloquence. John returns to The Cedar stage with special guest, Taylor Rae.

We turn our projector on and focus the light on September being National Recovery Month by offering a free film, "The Forgotten Ones". Generation Hope's groundbreaking documentary sheds light on how the opioid epidemic has impacted the East African community specifically here in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood.

First Avenue Presents Who? Weekly: The Podcast is back on tour with an all new, all Who live show! Join hosts Bobby and Lindsey to live, love and laugh LIVE and in-person alongside the Wholigans. We’ll dig into our favorite Daily Mail headlines, dive deeper into the lives of culture’s thirstiest D-listers and maybe once and for all figure out exactly what Rita Ora’s up to... Don’t miss out on this EXCLUSIVE chance to affirm your parasocial relationships!

Tom Paxton has become a voice of his generation, addressing issues of injustice and inhumanity, laying bare the absurdities of modern culture and celebrating the tenderest bonds of family, friends, and community. Tonight, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner and folk icon teams up with the Grammy winning singer/songwriter duo The DonJuans - Don Henry & Jon Vezner for a special performance on The Cedar stage.

Live and direct from Burkina Faso on their first ever tour of the USA, The Cedar Presents Baba Commandant and The Mandingo Band! 

Touring on the success of their latest LP, Sonbonbela (Sublime Frequencies), Baba’s voice impresses with its gravel and grit, showcasing a range that is ancient and defiant in equal measure. The Mandingo Band brings a non-stop hit parade of afro-beat bangers destined to light our dance floor ablaze!

An old-time West Bank dance with an orquesta típica, Lone Piñon! 

A New Mexican string band whose music celebrates the integrity and diversity of their region's cultural roots. With fiddles, upright bass, guitars, accordions, vihuela, and bilingual vocals, they play a wide spectrum of the traditional music that is at home in New Mexico and along the border. 

"They make the music of the border into something living, breathing and absolutely enticing." - fROOTS Magazine

Summer Cypher and The Cedar are excited to welcome you to the second annual final outdoor celebration of hip-hop culture in all its facets of music, dance, graffiti, DJing, and MCing. Returning to the neighborhood where the genesis of Summer Cypher took place, there will be music flowing throughout the day, breakers and hip-hop dancers, as well as live spray painting, and a variety of vendors to check out. Come on out to The Cedar plaza for a low-key, easy time and catch artist performances and live painting; grab some merch, food, and drinks from local small businesses; and connect with each other around a love for hip-hop.

Please join us for a double-header of deep grit. We have RAY “a poet of the demimonde” BONNEVILLE opening the night with a lifetime of hard-won knowledge set against his steely, soulful guitar and harmonica playing; plus the COREY MEDINA and BROTHERS band closing the night, spreading light to dark, and hope to the hopeless.

Friday night Blues for everyone!

The Cedar joins the Walker Art Center in co-presenting the Minnesota debut of Alabaster dePlume.

Coming from the red-hot London jazz/new music scene, dePlume presents an evening of tender and spare songs filled with existential comedy and spiritual enlightenment.

“. . . a balm of spoken word and spiritual jazz, both strangely uncomfortable and strangely comforting.” —Pitchfork

Guitar luminary + Tuareg folk hero Omara “Bombino” Moctar returns to The Cedar stage! On  September 13th, two days before the release of his new album via Partisan Records: "Sahel." 

‘Sahel’ takes its name from the vast African region spanning East-West from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, and is the highly anticipated follow-up to his 2018 album Deran,’ which turned Bombino into the first-ever Grammy-nominated artist from Niger. 

In performance and on this new release, Bombino plays with sparks-spraying guitar pyrotechnics, punctuated by howling ululations.It's a plea for unity and solidarity across the Sahel, delivered in his native Tamasheq. “Let's defend our people because we are the same regardless of our geographical position,” he sings while shouting out the Tuareg people throughout the region.

"THE WORLD'S BEST GUITARIST™" - NOISEY

The Cedar, TAMU Events, KFAI, and Carbon Sound Present MINNEAPOLIS AFROBEATS DANCE PARTY! The welcome-back-to-school FALL EDITION!

Considered the best afrobeats dance party in the city, featuring the contemporary African sound taking over the world.

This season's edition features: local djs, SALIF KEITA of KFAI FM and KING SWANK + performances by beloved host, FANAKA NATION and special guests TBA!

Local music blog, podcast, and video performance series, Ear Coffee celebrates its sixth birthday with Psylo, 12th House Sun, Anita Velveeta and Early Eyes!

Making their debut Cedar appearance, The Kruger Brothers are well-known to bluegrass audiences for their many years of touring and recording in the US since emigrating from Switzerland in their youth. Their appeal crosses beyond the strictures of genre, both for their undeniable virtuosity on banjo and guitar, and their tremendous appeal as natural entertainers.