The two headlining acts of the Arts in the Parks series this week are the Dakota Rose Band, this evening at 7 p.m., and the JMB Band on Sunday at 4 and 7 p.m. All shows are at Scandinavian Heritage Park just off South Broadway.
Dakota Rose Band, tonight, 7 p.m.
The Dakota Rose Band is made up of Karen Rath on keyboard and vocals, Floyd Borud on lead guitar and vocals, Larry Nelson on rhythm and vocals, and Willie Rose on lead guitar. They are popular throughout the Minot area and as far away as Williston, playing for weddings as well as the nightly dances at Norsk Hostfest.
"Our sound is '50s, '60s, country and country gospel," said Rath. "For Thursday, we'll be including some patriotic numbers as well. We've been together about six or seven years now, and we have two CDs out."
They will be playing "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah" and "There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere," along with some Emmylou Harris and Patsy Cline songs. They will be selling the CDs, entitled "Together Again" and "Life By Faith," the title song of which Rath's husband, Leonard, wrote for his brother.
"It's the only song he's ever written, and it's very special to us," Rath said.
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JMB Band, Sunday, 4 and 7 p.m.
On Sunday, the JMB Band - "J" for Jerry Schlag on the accordion, "M" for Myron Dammen on the guitar and "B" for Bud Witty on bass - will be playing two shows with selections from their seven CDs.
"For Sunday, Rod Renaud will be taking Bud's place, because he can't make it," said Schlag. "You know, it's a good thing they're having the accordion playing as part of this (The Minot Area Council of the Arts' Arts in the Parks), because it's a dying art. It's hard to find young people who want to take it up."
JMB will be performing old time standards, waltzes, folk dances and schottisches, the latter of which is a German folk dance resembling a slow polka. The group can draw on 235 years of combined musical experience, and all three are members of the Dakota Music Hall of Fame since Witty was inducted, joining the other two in 2008.
While the men even compose some music, with "Jerry's Polka" and "Myron's Waltz," "we generally hire someone to do the vocals," Schlag said. Six of their CDs will be available for sale, with the other available to order.
In the event of inclement weather, all shows will be cancelled. All are free and open to the public, with a freewill offering accepted to support the summer concert series.