Cadenza Music’s 50th Birthday Party
We couldn't see our 50th year in business pass by without throwing a party to honor this momentous time in our history.
We are so grateful to all of you - your loyalty is the reason we're still here. Save SEPTEMBER 21ST in your calendar for the party of the year!
The day will be an all day festival-style party in the back parking lot featuring kid-friendly entertainment, vendors, snacks, and a killer music line-up.
This event is in conjunction with the Selby Stroll, an annual neighborhood-wide event with special offers and entertainment at many surrounding businesses. An excellent day out for the whole family!
We’ll also be launching the Music For Everyone Fund (more info below).
LINEUP - subject to change
11am Cadenza Kids Party in Studio 20
12:30pm KidPower with Rachael
1pm Twin Cities Ukulele Club
2pm Recital by students and teachers of Cadenza Music
3pm Husband Material (Cadenza founder, Eugene Monnig’s band!)
4pm Cadenza All Stars
6pm Obi Original
7pm Little Fevers
8pm Tarias and the Sound
Obi Original
Meet the visionary talent known as Obi Original. With deep roots in Nigeria's vibrant music culture, Obi Original is more than just an artist and producer; he's a musical visionary with a mission to share the heart of African music with the world. Notably, he showcased his skills as a composer and guitarist during a recent tour with fellow recording artist, Libianca, alongside the legendary Alicia Keys. Obi Original is a natural-born performer and a versatile musician. As a beloved figure in the Minneapolis, Minnesota community, Obi Original has brought together diverse communities to revel under rich sounds of rock, Afro-fusion, highlife, and bluegrass in a variety of live events. He finds inspiration from a kaleidoscope of genres, yet fiercely believes that Africa is the home of music.
Little Fevers
Little Fevers is an indie-pop group from Minneapolis fronted by songwriter Lucy Michelle.
Smart, infectious pop rock gems" - Consequence of Sound
"This Minneapolis quartet could slot neatly in amongst a Mates of State record, a Pavement full-length and Vampire Weekend's first album." - Noisey
Tarias and the Sound
“Everything and everyone has a frequency. Sometimes all it takes is a bit of listening to find inspiration from the natural rhythms of life.
Tarias and the Sound is the musical brainchild of me, Minnesota's own Anthony Omodt-Lopez. Utilizing my roots in the blues and musical theatre, as well as a Gen. Z perspective on the world, I hope to create a unique and resonant experience for my listeners.” - Tarias
Cadenza All Stars
Longtime Cadenza teachers in a one-time jazz supergroup. They come together rarely, and their shows almost always sell out when they do! Thrilled to include them in this momentous day.
KidPower with Rachael
KidPower with Rachael, featuring Rachael Kroog, is a high energy, interactive and entertaining musical show featuring a couple of Rachael’s live, educational animals! KidPower is the power to be kind.
Husband Material
Husband Materials Trio plays new and old tunes from boogie-woogie through the blues, traveling musically along the Mississippi from New Orleans to Saint Louis to Saint Paul. Tunes are originals, with covers of favorites.
Michael Deppe Michael Deppe began to play music in earnest after quitting piano lessons in 2nd grade. He has participated in a wide range of musical fun, playing piano, bass and guitar in several different groups and style over the years. He worked as a luthier early on, and made a career switch to teaching small children, which is what he currently does when not thinking about composing new songs.
Kurt Koefod’s musical world took shape at the tender age of 9 when he bought his first record–The Supremes “My world is empty without you, babe”–and he fashioned a drum kit out of Folgers’s coffee cans and Lincoln logs to play along. He eventually advanced to oyster-stripe Ludwigs in a nod to Ringo. He went on performing hiatus for several decades until Eugene moved in next door.
Eugene Monnig is the grandson of a Saint Louis piano man who enlivened every house party with stride piano jazz. Eugene went wrong early and took up the guitar, but his native musical language is rhythm and blues. He founded Saint Paul's Cadenza Music in 1974 and sold the business to a new generation in 2019.
The Music For Everyone Fund
For 50 years the official Cadenza slogan has been “music for everyone.” Recently we started asking ourselves, “are we living up to this motto?”
We certainly believe in the power of music to positively impact people's lives, particularly the lives of children and young adults. But are there ways we could be more accessible to “everyone”? How can we serve more people? How about those with the potential to benefit the most from the impact of music but without the means to achieve this on their own?Looking ahead, we know that living up to this motto will be a lifelong and endless task. But when we look back, one thing is certain: Any success we have achieved so far is down to the power of community.
As a small, local business, we can definitively say that we would not be here if it weren’t for the community that has been with us through thick and thin these last 50 years. Some of you have been involved with Cadenza in some capacity since the beginning, or close to it, and are still a part of the Cadenza family.
So the first step we are taking in this, our 50th birthday year, is to introduce to you the Music For Everyone Fund. All funds collected will be used to help Cadenza truly live up to its motto. This can mean lessons for those who can’t afford them, schools in need of better instruments for their music programs, much-needed renovations to our historic space, community outreach… we want to dream big, and we hope you will dream with us.
