Log Jam Festival: Homegrown Talent, Locally Produced

Log Jam at Jack’s on Mille Lacs in Isle, Minnesota, is one of several new regional festivals that have popped up in the past decade or so.
For years, the Big Wu and the good folks at Harmony Park were the only people around promoting great national acts but also regional talent in an outdoor setting.

With the growing interest in live music sparked by the blockbuster 10,000 Lakes Festival, local bands and promoters have decided that one or two festivals weren’t enough. They wanted to keep that good music vibe going all summer long in smaller festivals.

Little festivals allow you to get up close and personal with a band. “That aspect is a big draw,” says Mark Grundhoefer, member of the band Down Lo and owner of MJG Productions that is putting on this year’s Log Jam. “There’s a lot of Woodstocks that came back and the Bonnaroos, these huge events. Even 10,000 Lakes is pretty big. A lot of people want to get back to something that’s more homegrown and has more roots to it.”

Smaller festivals also allow fans to see the interplay going on between band members and what chords or special drum rigs artists are using. Since many of these outdoor festivals attract musicians, that’s a big plus. You get the intimacy of a club with sun and fresh air.

Grundhoefer agrees that Log Jam fits that bill. “We not only try to make a smaller event that’s accessible,” he says, “but one that has a lot different things going on. If you don’t feel like listening to bluegrass, you can go watch reggae at the Saloon Stage or the Late Night Stage. We purposely book the bands opposite some genres and styles to try to offer that kind of diversity.”

This year, Log Jam will offer a fourth stage for late night enjoyment, called the Down Time Stage. “A bar in Minneapolis is sponsoring it,” Grundhoefer adds.

This will be MJG Productions second year working behind the stages at this festival. “Last year was the first year I had full oversight over it,” he says. “The year before that, 2006, I was involved in the operation, but not so much the planning and booking of it. I’ve been involved about three years now. Last year and this year, I’ve been at it full throttle.”

MJG Productions, based in St. Paul, does artist management, booking, and promotion. “We’re a multi-faceted company, and we do all different aspects of the music business, including promoting events,” says Grundhoefer.

It’s a big plus having an experienced band run a production company. They know how the system works. “And we know how to protect artists and how to advise them,” Gundhoefer stresses. “A lot of these bands don’t know where to go with their music and with their talent. There’s nothing worse than seeing talent not being executed, not being relished and embraced. That’s what we try to do. We try to put the music first. We put the talent first.”

MJG Productions handles the White Iron Band, Down Lo, Deploi, Heatbox, The Feelin Band, the New Primitives, God Johnson, the Big Wu, and Dave Simonett’s (Trampled By Turtles) solo work. The company also handles the Midwest booking for Banyan with Stephen Perkins.

With that kind of expertise and influence, MJG has been able to bring in topnotch national acts for Log Jam. This year Bayan with Stephen Perkins and Willie Waldman will perform, along with The Breakfast, Papa Mali, and St. Louis’s Dead cover band, the Schwag. They also are bringing in local favorites like Spider John Koerner and Tony Glover, theWhite Iron Band, Trampled by Turtles, Charlie Parr, Pert’ Near Sandstone, Heatbox, Hyentyte, Public Property, the Legionnaires, and lots more. There are nearly fifty bands playing Thursday June 19 to Saturday June 21.
Isle, Minnesota is 186 miles from Fargo. Tickets are $60 for music and camping. A special VIP ticket for $110 offers great camping, two catered meals each day, beer tickets, and a VIP gift bag. A pre-party the day before is only $10 extra. There is also access to a beach.

Homegrown and locally produced, The Log Jam Festival is a great regional music event. Take it from Charlie Parr, “Log Jam will be fun this year.” You betcha!

If You Go

What: Log Jam Festival
Where: Jack’s on Mille Lacs, Isle, Minn.
When: Thurs., June 19 - Sat, June 21
How Much: VIP $110, Music/camping $60,
Pre-party $10 extra. (You can upgrade at the gate.)