Trampled by Turtles sells out State Street theater
Performance serves as fundraiser for the Grand
Trampled by Turtles performs Saturday night at State Street Theater in New Ulm. The band headlined Music is Grand, the sold-out annual benefit concert for the Grand Center for Arts and Culture. (Photo by Amy Zents)
The Cactus Blossoms open Music is Grand on Saturday night at State Street Theater in New Ulm. The show benefited the Grand Center for Arts and Culture. (Photo by Amy Zents)
John Kellen, executive director of the Grand Center for Arts and Culture, speaks Saturday night at State Street Theater in New Ulm during Music is Grand, the annual benefit concert for the Grand. (Photo by Amy Zents)
Trampled by Turtles performs Saturday night at State Street Theater in New Ulm. The band headlined Music is Grand, the sold-out annual benefit concert for the Grand Center for Arts and Culture. (Photo by Amy Zents)
The Cactus Blossoms open Music is Grand on Saturday night at State Street Theater in New Ulm. The show benefited the Grand Center for Arts and Culture. (Photo by Amy Zents)
John Kellen, executive director of the Grand Center for Arts and Culture, speaks Saturday night at State Street Theater in New Ulm during Music is Grand, the annual benefit concert for the Grand. (Photo by Amy Zents)
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NEW ULM -- The Music is Grand concert gathered a sold-out crowd in New Ulm on Saturday night.
The annual benefit concert for the Grand Center for Arts and Culture featured Trampled by Turtles with opener The Cactus Blossoms. The show was held at State Street Theater, 1 N. State St.
Music is Grand is the Grand Center for Arts and Culture’s annual benefit concert presented in partnership with State Street Theater. Organizers said 100 percent of ticket sales go to the Grand to support core programming.
Executive Director John Kellen opened the Trampled by Turtles show speaking in Dakota and German.
“This land was and is Dakota homeland. Mitakuye Oyasin [Mitakuyapi Owasin in Dakota] means we’re all related, we’re all relatives, and not just the human race, but the four-leggeds, the wing relatives, the crawlers, the swimmers, the trees,” Kellen said.
Kellen said he wanted to acknowledge that the land is Dakota homeland and that the theater is on hallowed ground. He then spoke in German. He said New Ulm was founded by German immigrants about 150 to 170 years ago.
“The Germans came about 150, 170 years ago. This town was founded by the Turnverein, and they had a really interesting way of building a community with parks, with music and art and physical fitness,” Kellen said.
Kellen said the Grand Center for Arts and Culture is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on donations and grants, including funding from the Legacy Amendment, the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Regional Arts Council.
“The Grand Center for Arts and Culture is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We rely on the generous donations of our donors and grants. All the money you spent on tickets is going back to support arts and culture in this community,” Kellen said.
Kellen said the Grand’s building at 210 N. Minnesota St. does not have space for a crowd of that size, so the organization partners with State Street Theater. He thanked Lori Jewell and the theater staff.
He said the Grand operates a gallery, a listening room and live music on Fridays and cabarets. The Grand also holds one of the largest collections of antique letterpress printmaking and book arts outside the Twin Cities. Posters for Saturday’s show were printed by Tin Can Valley Press.
Sponsors included Frandsen Bank and Trust, Bob Webb Insurance and longtime donors. Kellen said Phil and Liz Gross and their family have funded the event for the last three years and that Ann Gross was instrumental in establishing the Grand.
The Grand staff includes John Kellen, executive director, Anne Makepeace, founder, Tegan Daly, Cellar Press program and studio coordinator, Olivia Haggerty, marketing and programming coordinator, and Joe Weckwerth, operations support.
Kellen announced next year’s act.
“Next year’s Music is Grand will feature the California Honeydrops. They’re a fabulous blues and R & B band out of Oakland who got their start busking in subway stations and then went on tour with B.B. King and,” Kellen said.
The California Honeydrops formed in the subway systems of Oakland and play R and B, funk, soul and blues.
The audience stayed through two sets with a 20-minute intermission for concessions and merchandise. The Cactus Blossoms, brothers Page Burkum and Jack Torrey from Minnesota, opened with close harmony singing rooted in 1940s and 1950s country. Trampled by Turtles followed with bluegrass and folk.
The crowd gave the band a standing ovation.
Part-time Park and Rec coordinator Harley Heckendorf said she and her boyfriend have followed Trampled by Turtles for years.
“I’m really a big fan of them. Me and my boyfriend were here. We both really liked them,” Heckendorf said. “We were happy to be there tonight.”
Other attendees said they liked that the concert supports the Grand. One said he had become a member to get early access to tickets. Another said this was his second Music is Grand after seeing Los Lobos last year. Several said they plan to return for the Grand’s free Friday shows.
Kellen said this year’s show sold out in three days and more than 100 people became new members of the Grand to get tickets. He said members and donors get first chance to buy tickets for 2027.
Kellen said the 2027 concert is scheduled for Oct. 23, 2027.
Money raised Saturday will support the Grand’s gallery, exhibitions, educational workshops and live music program. The Grand offers free live music twice a weekend and art education classes. The organization is at 210 N. Minnesota St. in the former Grand Hotel.