Experience a Night of Music with Pert Near Sandstone

ST. PAUL (WJON News) -- You can take in some great bluegrass music at an annual event this weekend. Minnesota's own Pert Near Sandstone is hosting their annual Winter String Gathering on Friday and Saturday at the Turf Club in St. Paul. Pert Near Sandstone will headline both nights of music that will also feature the Fretliners and the May North on Friday night, and Armchair Boogie and Triple Fiddle on Saturday night.

Founding member of Pert Near Sandstone, Nate Sipe, says the gathering is a great way to shake off those winter blues:

"Now the Winter String Band Gathering has turned into more of a Spring String Band Gathering, but it's always fun curating this little micro event, and it is always a blast! It's a good hang. It's an intimate venue, and it fulfills the warm fuzzies that we look for when we do a hometown show."

The band will be playing a lot of new music from their latest album, "Side by Side," which was co-produced by Ryan Young of Trampled by Turtles.

Ryan Young was once a member of Trampled by Turtles."

Sipe says sometimes it is tough to convince bands to come to the annual gathering:

"We have a bit of a wish list as we go into each year like let's reach out to these, this whole list and see whose available and often we did this in February or even in January years ago and it's really hard pulling people from warmer climates to come to Minnesota (laughs), in the frozen tundra that's January and February."

Sipe says they always target more acoustic-type bands and get a band from out west and then a band from out east or down south.

The After Party is just up the road from the Turf Club.

There is also an after-party at the Midway Saloon, where people can mingle with band members and hear more bluegrass music from Pot Luck String Band on Friday and Brotherhood of Birds on Saturday. The Winter String Band Gathering costs $25 for one night, or $45 for both nights.  Doors open at 7:00 p.m. with the music starting at 8:00 p.m.

READ MORE FROM AUTHOR PAUL HABSTRITT