Avey Grouws Band w/Jake La Botz
Wednesday, August 13, 5:30 PM-8 PM
John Withers Sports Complex (Ward 1)

SCHEDULE

5 PM | Get ready!

Come early to enjoy the space and to grab your spot before the show starts. Food and beverage vendors will be onsite. Lawn chairs, blankets, coolers and picnics are welcome.

5:30 PM JAKE LA BOTZ (Chicago, IL)

Singer/songwriter Jake La Botz plays roots music that reflects his time performing in streets, bars, churches, and even tattoo parlors. You can also hear the various places La Botz has lived in his music — including his time in New Orleans, the Mississippi Delta, and his native Chicago where, as a young man, he found kinship with some of the last of the pre-war era bluesmen. In 2017 and 2019 Jake released his studio albums Sunnyside and They’re Coming for Me, both winning Independent Music Awards.

https://www.jakelabotz.com/

6:30 PM AVEY GROUWS BAND (Quad cities)

Avey Grouws Band merges blues, roots, rock, and soul as powerfully as the Mississippi River runs through their home base in the Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois. Led by vocalist Jeni Grouws and guitarist Chris Avey, the band scored Top 10 spots on the Billboard Blues Album chart with their 2020 debut, The Devil May Care (#10) and 2021 follow-up, Tell Tale Heart (#7), recorded in Nashville with Grammy winner Casey Wasner.

Known for gritty guitar work, commanding vocals, and a vibrant onstage presence, Avey Grouws Band has brought their high-energy blend of American roots music to venues across the country, including stops at major festivals like Las Vegas’s Big Blues Bender alongside acts such as Keb’ Mo’ and Beth Hart. Their sophomore album cements their place as a formidable force, weaving together influences from blues, rock, country, and soul for a uniquely authentic sound.

https://www.aveygrouwsband.com/

ABOUT FORWARD PARK CONCERTS

These free, Wednesday evening concerts highlight local bands and regional headliners. Concerts are held in six different walkable, pet friendly, and bike trail connected parks - one in each city ward. The music starts at 5:30 and wraps up by 8 pm. Come early to enjoy the park before the show, visit the bookmobile, and grab a coloring sheet and crayons for the kids!

Everyone is welcome! Picnic baskets, coolers, well-behaved pups, and blankets are encouraged, and here will be local food and beverage vendors on site.

Closed captioning will be available with your data-connected smart phone or tablet.

For more information on this event and Rochester Public Music, check out our website! https://www.rochestermn.gov/music

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council (SEMAC) thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.