Deathsquads vs. Nur-D, etc.: Our critic’s top Art-A-Whirl 2024 live music picks, hour by hour

Art-A-Whirl’s performance schedule is the kind of thing that keeps die-hard music lovers up at night:

“If I go see Creeping Charlie at Elias Metal Studio, will I still have time to catch Gully Boys at Indeed Brewing?”

“How far is Sociable from Bauhaus if I want to see both the Zoo Animal reunion and Mark Mallman?”

“Who are these sadistic people who booked Scrunchies at the exact same time as the Cactus Blossoms AND Curtiss A?”

Those questions all pertain to this weekend’s Art-A-Whirl music lineup, which is slightly scaled back from the past couple years but remains as exciting and daunting as ever.

This year’s three-day walking party around northeast Minneapolis doesn’t feature any national touring acts, offered in recent years by Pryes Brewing Co. (which is sticking to an arts and crafts showcase this year), Grumpy’s Bar (sticking to bar business) and the 331 Club (sticking to a scaled-back party with MCN6 TV’s “Bands on Vans” mobile stage).

With just all-local talent lineups, though — and really, that’s all it should be — many of the mainstays of Art-A-Whirl will still have music lovers scrambling, including both Bauhaus and Indeed breweries, Sociable Cider Werks, Twin Ignition Startup Garage (host venue for the music nonprofit DEMO) and Elias Metal Studio.

“The music is now such a vital component to Art-A-Whirl,” said Lisa Elias, the metal sculptor who was among the first to showcase live music at her studio space more than two decades ago, and for the obvious reason: “I needed a crowd,” she recalled.

Nowadays, Elias said, “[AAW] has exploded in popularity, especially with all the music that is showcased by the breweries. For better or worse, it has made a huge shift in attendance.”

Save time for the art as you plan ahead for the music. Here’s one local music lover’s cheat sheet with hour-by-hour personal picks, a tactic I’ve been employing for many years to avoid losing sleep. More info on the venues is below.

• 5 p.m.: Dust of Suns Ensemble (Twin Ignitions)

• 6: Leah Elizabeth (Q.arma Building) / Jo Jo Green (Padraigs Brewing, former home of 612 Brew)

• 7: Colin Bracewell (Elias Metal) / Backup pick: Paul Metzger (Q.arma Building)

• 8: Creeping Charlie (Elias Metal) / Hastings 3000 with “Bands on Vans” (331 Club)

• 9: Gully Boys (Indeed Brewing) / Black Widows (Sociable Cider Werks)

• Noon: Buffalo Function Music Band (Bauhaus Brew Labs) / Silverteens (Elias Metal, 12:30 p.m. start)

• 1 p.m.: Jillian Rae (Bauhaus, 1:30 p.m.) / Irish Diplomacy (Padraigs)

• 2: Christy Costello (Eastside Food Co-op)

• 3: Derecho Sound System (Indeed, 3:30 p.m.) / Robert Wilkinson (Twin Ignitions)

• 4: Rich Mattson & Germaine Gemberling (Twin Ignitions) / McNasty Brass Band (Bauhaus, 4:30)

• 5: The Cactus Blossoms (Eastside) / Scrunchies (Indeed, 5:30)

• 6: L.A. Buckner & Big Homie (Bauhaus) / Becky Kapell (Twin Ignitions)

• 7: Zoo Animal reunion gig (Bauhaus, 7:30) / Surly Grrly (Twin Ignitions)

• 8: Marijuana Deathsquads (Indeed, 8:30 start) / Diane (331 Club)

• 9: Nur-D (Bauhaus) / Mark Mallman (Sociable)

• 1 p.m.: Molly Maher & Her Disbelievers (Indeed) / Hibah Hassan (Q.arma)

• 2: Cornbread Harris (Indeed) / Carnage the Executioner (Twin Ignitions)

• 4: Laamar (Indeed) / Mayda (Twin Ignitions)

• 5: Kevin Washington & RA Spirit (Indeed)

Tickets: Most shows are free. Check for age restrictions and full schedules at the hosts’ Facebook pages.

Addresses: 331 Club, 331 13th Av. NE.; Bauhaus Brew Labs, 1315 NE. Tyler St.; Eastside Food Co-op, 2551 Central Av. NE.; Elias Metal Studio, 1129 NE. Van Buren St.; Indeed Brewing, 711 15th Av. NE.; Padraigs Brewing, 945 Broadway St. NE.; Q.arma Building, 1224 Quincy St. NE.; Sociable Cider Werks, 1500 NE. Fillmore St.; Twin Ignition Startup Garage, 1317 NE. Marshall St.