New Director & Fall Schedule!
New Artistic Director
Kelley Smith
Saying hello! If you have a moment, please give this a read. And if you have another moment, please follow/like Grassroots Concerts official public page on Facebook (or Instagram if you're on there). Honored to be keeping these shows going in the Brainerd Lakes Area. -Kelley
I’m Kelley Smith, a folksinger/songwriter with roots in the Brainerd Lakes Area, MN. I performed at Grassroots Concerts in the spring of 2023, after I released my debut music, and was woo-ed by their low bells + whistles approach. A cozy space with amazing acoustics, and a loyal + engaged crowd.
Since then, I’ve been thinking on ways that I can help boost our arts experiences in the Brainerd Lakes Area. When I heard that the historic Grassroots series was bound to close its doors, it felt like a no-brainer to take over as Artistic Director.
Original folk music in the BLA, since 1988. It’s a new hat for me to wear, and I’m so thankful to Dawn and Joe Stattine for entrusting this thing to me, and for sticking around to show me the ropes.
Happy to say that we will be releasing our Fall 2025 lineup some time next week. These artists are wondrous, and don’t come this way often. I’d love to see our Brainerd Lakes friends coming out for these shows, not out of obligation, but because your ears will be happy, and we’ll all be better for gathering as a community around folk music.
GRASSROOTS FALL 2025 ARTISTS
THE ROE FAMILY
THE ROE FAMILY
THE ROE FAMILY
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2025 — THE ROE FAMILY SINGERS www.roefamilysingers.com
The Roe Family Singers mix original music and contemporary takes on old-time, traditional, and gospel tunes into one roiling & rollicking river of fresh yet familiar American music. Led by wife and husband Kim and Quillan Roe, every performance raises a ruckus, and Kim’s award-winning clogging just adds to the show.
“Roe Family Singers are the new wave of old-time.”— City Pages
KELLY HUNT
THE ROE FAMILY
THE ROE FAMILY
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2025 — KELLY HUNT www.kellyhuntmusic.com
The daughter of an opera singer and a saxophonist, Kelly Hunt was raised in Memphis, TN, amidst a motley melange of musical influences ranging from Rachmaninov to Joni Mitchell to Mississippi John Hurt. Her debut album, Even the Sparrow, reveals Hunt’s penchant for storytelling and intriguing arrangement, and is“the musical equivalent of a book you can't putdown, one you’ll want to visit again and again…"— No Depression
WEARY RAMBLERS
WEARY RAMBLERS
WEARY RAMBLERS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2025 — WEARY RAMBLERS www.wearyramblers.com
Iowa folk duo, Weary Ramblers, brings years of experience to the stage with award-winning songwriting and chemistry. Chad Elliott and Kathryn Fox showcase multi-instrumental performances with tight harmonies and great storytelling. The duo's new album releases in October and we're excited to host them on this release tour! “That man's music is as honest as was Woody Guthrie's." — Smithsonian Folkways
JACK KLATT
WEARY RAMBLERS
WEARY RAMBLERS
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2025 —JACK KLATT
Part balladeer and part bluesman, Jack Klatt is a dedicated songwriter and fingerstyle guitarist based in Minneapolis, MN. His unique sound defies genre with influences that pull from a wide range of American music, from Rhythm and Blues and early Rock N’ Roll, to country and folk music. "Jack doesn't rely on other writers for his diversity, he can write in pretty much any musical style of his choosing.”— Americana Roots UK