Via ArtReach St. Croix:
Blue Hazard, a bluegrass band made up of musicians who grew up near William O’Brien State Park, will perform at the park on Friday, August 25 at 6:30pm. The pop-up performance is part of Bluegrass & Butterflies, a joint program between ArtReach St. Croix and naturalists at are state parks.
“We are excited to bring the Blue Hazard musicians back to Marine on St. Croix, back to their roots, so to speak,” says Heather Rutledge ArtReach’s executive director. “The pop-up performance in the state park will be a fun way to merge art and nature. You can’t beat a late summer evening of music in the meadow!”
The five-piece band, formed in 2000, is comprised of three siblings and two friends. Siblings Hannah Johnson, Luke Gruber and Dale Gruber grew up near Square Lake playing music in a family band with their father. These days, they are joined by bass player Clara Wicklund, a native of Marine on St. Croix and daughter of famed fiddle player Brian Wicklund, and banjo player Uriah Nibbe.
Blue Hazard creates emotional connections with audiences by mixing their love of contemporary mediums with old-soul roots to create an impactful musical experience. Evolving from a novice family band into dedicated and earnest musicians, the group impresses listeners with their crisp harmonies, complex arrangements, and honest & diverse songwriting.
In 2012, they debuted “This World of Mine” — their first album consisting of mostly original songs. Progressing further, the band released their first all-original album “Sideshow” on July 7, 2017.
Blue Hazard will perform at ArtReach’s Mobile Art Gallery, a converted trailer with a bright mural on the exterior and gallery walls inside. This summer the Bluegrass & Butterflies program brought art and music to William O’Brien State Park, Afton State Park and Interstate State Park-MN. This activity was made possible by voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. Other exhibitions and performance will take place throughout the fall at art fairs and community events.
