Doug Collins & The Receptionists with Trevor McSpadden & Mary Cutrafello

Called "one of the most brilliant songwriters to emerge from the Twin Cities in nearly two decades" by southernminn.com, Doug Collins's hooky mix of Beatle-esque pop and classic country are highlighted in his energetic shows (both solo and with his crack band, the Receptionists), soulful singing, and honest, emotional songs. His last two CD's were voted "Best of the Year" by the Minneapolis Star Tribune and his most recent, Good Sad News, was voted #3 best American release in Spain by Ruta66 Magazine.

Trevor McSpadden worked Central Texas dance halls before perfecting his hard honky-tonk sound in the nightclubs of Chicago. Moving to California in early 2014, Trevor made short work of ingratiating himself to the Golden State. He's now a proud resident of Saint Paul, Minnesota. McSpadden’s carefully crafted twang is at home in both beer joints and listening rooms, inspiring audiences to dance and carry on in the time-honored way.

Mary Cutrufello is a Yale graduate who left her East Coast roots in the 1990s for the Texas music scene. She was signed to a six-record deal with Mercury Records and toured with Springsteen's E-Street keyboardist Danny Federici. Cutrufello was the featured musical act on Jay Leno's Tonight Show in 1998 and appeared on the musical showcase Austin City Limits. She met Perry, the New York Times best-selling author who moonlights with his band, the Longbeds, while Perry was on a freelance assignment. Cutrufello, who then was grabbing noteworthy reviews in Rolling Stone, Newsweek and People,was the subject of the interview.

But her career took a sharp turn when her record deal with Mercury fell through after the record label was merged with Seagram's and PolyGram. In 2001, she left Texas for the Twin Cities. The move was not just because she wanted to experience four seasons – she did – but during her tour with the major record label she was impressed by the people had she met there and their level of musicianship. She also had a sense that another act, like Prince, was set to make it big. Cutrufello continued to perform but to pay the bills she also became a FedEx driver.

In 2012, Chris Riemenschneider, writing for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, called her "the biggest rock star the Twin Cities music scene doesn't yet know!"

Host or Publisher Palmers Bar