Good Morning Bedlam has become an innovative force in the midwest folk scene. Their shows are known for their contagious energy, with members careening about the stage, jumping and dancing with a wild playfulness. With tight soaring three part harmonies, and thumping kick-drum, they captivate their audience night after night with no intention of slowing down. Every song is a unique twist on what is generally dubbed as folk music. “We want to surprise our audience from song to song. Rather than creating our music to fit a genre, we allow it to be an outpouring of our own stories and unique sound,” says Isaak, frontman of GMB. Just when you think you have Good Morning Bedlam pegged, they take you in another direction. You will be treated to a haunting waltz, whistling, jazz scatting, and the euphoria of the violin melodies. When it comes to their lyrical storytelling, Isaak says, “We’re desperate to connect to people through the common human experiences that we write about and the exuberance of our live show. People have a lot of choices of how they’ll kick-back, so we intend to deliver a show where they can be free–to share in whatever they need to–joy, grief, anger, gratefulness, or bedlam!”
Early 2016, Good Morning Bedlam signed with Minneapolis record label Last Triumph and released their first full-length album, Prodigal. After showcasing their music at SXSW two years in a row, this four piece released their sophomore album in July of 2018 and continue to tour full-time.
Nickel&Rose is an American folk-music duo made up of Upright Bassist Johanna Rose and Guitarist Carl Nichols. They formed in the summer of 2016 and spent their first winter and the following spring traveling Europe, playing dozens of shows in France, Czech Republic, Germany, Romania, Poland, and Ukraine. While in Berlin they recorded their EP, Oh Sweet Love, released in April 2017. Oh Sweet Love, is a sweet-sounding auditory souvenir of Nichols’ and Rose’s four month European journey and a recorded testament to the two-piece’s ability to turn tough times into something vibrant with help from a traveling companion.