Bon Iver, Doobie Brothers, Jon Pardi among summer concerts in Duluth

By Jay Gabler

February 27, 2023 at 12:02 PM

DULUTH — Bon Iver is playing Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth on Aug. 2. The band last played Bayfront for the Water Is Life Festival in 2021.

The show was announced Monday morning, Feb. 27, by the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, which manages Bayfront as a venue. Also Monday morning, the DECC announced that the Doobie Brothers will play Amsoil Arena on June 20.

Notably, Michael McDonald will be part of the lineup coming to Duluth. The yacht rock legend left the band during a breakup 40 years ago, and has reunited with the group only intermittently since.

The announcements solidify a summer of big music draws split between classic rock and indie rock. Classic rock is a reliable draw for the DECC, with crowds from baby boomers on down expected to pack Symphony Hall for Foreigner on May 9 and the Guess Who on June 30.

Meanwhile, booking younger bands at Bayfront speaks to the DECC's desire to please local audiences while also serving as a draw for fans who might travel the Twin Cities — and beyond — to see bands such as Hippo Campus (June 24) at the distinctive harborside space. Trampled By Turtles (July 8) is an indie Americana band founded in Duluth, but Trampled opener Jenny Lewis is coming in from L.A.

Bon Iver burst into international recognition with the emotionally devastating, critically lauded "For Emma, Forever Ago" (2007). Bon Iver has continued to expand its sonic palette and passionate fan base with three subsequent studio albums, while bandleader Justin Vernon has collaborated with artists including Taylor Swift and Kanye West.

Trampled By Turtles performing — Trampled by Turtles onstage at Bayfront Festival Park on July 9.

Another notable DECC concert is taking place April 21, when Amsoil Arena hosts its first hip-hop show since 2016: Kevin Gates and Wacka Flocka Flame, with supporting acts including Baby Shel, a hip-hop artist from the Red Lake Reservation.

Country artists including Jon Pardi (Bayfront, June 23) and Whiskey Myers (Amsoil, July 23) are also in the DECC's summer music mix. For tickets and information on all these shows, see decc.org.

By Jay Gabler

Arts and entertainment reporter Jay Gabler joined the Duluth News Tribune in 2022. His previous experience includes eight years as a digital producer at The Current (Minnesota Public Radio), four years as theater critic at Minneapolis alt-weekly City Pages, and six years as arts editor at the Twin Cities Daily Planet. He's a co-founder of pop culture and creative writing blog The Tangential; he's also a member of the National Book Critics Circle and the Minnesota Film Critics Alliance. You can reach him at jgabler@duluthnews.com or 218-279-5536.

Bon Iver, Doobie Brothers, Jon Pardi among summer concerts in Duluth

Also: Amsoil Arena will host its first hip-hop show since 2016: Kevin Gates and Wacka Flocka Flame, with supporting acts including Baby Shel, a hip-hop artist from the Red Lake Reservation.