Dessa

Dessa recently visited The Current studio to play a three-song set, including her recent single, "Camelot," above. Watch and listen to the full session at thecurrent.org and on our YouTube channel (links in bio). #thecurrentsessions #music #studio #minnesotamusic #publicradiomusic @dessa #dessa #mpr @mprnews @minnesotapublicradio @doomtree

Shot by @tonynelson at @minnorch ’s Orchestra Hall.

See you at @earlgilesmpls .

The next few months of touring. (I am happy to note that airplanes will intervene to aid us through several passages.) This week the band and I will play twice in Minneapolis. First, we join @nazmpls at their event with @nytimes writer Thomas Friedman. Then this Friday we’re hitting the @earlgilesmpls stage at Art-A-Whirl.

I made a cake. This is it. In frosting, as in fashion, tight stripes are hard to pull off.

Chronology be damned. Upcoming shows, in the order the flyers were saved to my camera roll. (Not pictured: sold-out show at the @hewinghotel in June.) More concerts announcing soon, including a visit to the Southwest with @avivajaye and @joshuathejellyfish . See youz soon.

Midwesting. Shows in Mankato, Minneapolis, and Eau Claire this month. On deck: Viroqua, St. Croix, and Colorado. Photos by @redhatjessy and @runthistownmedia .

Rapper, singer, and songwriter @dessa is a longtime member of Minneapolis’s influential Doomtree collective. She has toured and recorded with orchestras, and been artist-in-residence at The Greene Space, our ground floor performance venue here in New York. But Dessa is also a writer, a poet, and a keen observer of the times. Her explicit commentary on the state of American politics, along with digressions on art, science, business, love, failure, and creativity fuel her latest songs. And one of those songs is called, "Tough Call", which she performed with her band in-studio for the latest Soundcheck podcast episode. Watch the full performance on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/newsoundsmusic #SoundcheckPodcast #LiveMusic

Dessa is headlining Party in Bloom at Mia! Party in Bloom marks the opening night of Art in Bloom at Mia. Be among the first inside as the museum transforms into a one-night spring celebration filled with florals, fashion, and after-hours energy. Savor exceptional bites by @bucheronmpls , sip mixologist-designed botanical cocktails by @steadypour , and experience immersive installations, live music, and fashion moments from @martinpatrick3 throughout the galleries. April 22nd, 7–11 pm at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Dessa is a multi-disciplinary artist celebrated for her razor-sharp writing across a diverse musical career that includes six solo albums, a live recording with the Minnesota Orchestra, and a feature on The Hamilton Mixtape. Beyond her accomplishments in music, she is also an established author, podcaster, and writer for major publications. Reserve your spot at tickets.artsmia.org or the link in our bio. Photo by Sam Gehrke

For the past several months, I’ve been making regular visits to Georgetown University as the first Artist in Residence for the Music Sustainability Initiative. (Campus: gothic. Students: real smart. Me: geeking out.) I’ve delivered guest lectures; listened to artists with a deep understanding of governmental arts policies; and been generally impressed the musical talents, economic minds, and rhetorical skills of both professors and students. Next month @georgetownuniversity is holding a 2-day conference on Music and AI. Scholars, musicians, teachers, and activists from far and wide will convene to talk about the ways in which artificial intelligence is changing the art and the business of music, focusing on the themes of creativity, labor, and power. Reading through the research that will be presented at this thing has already blown my mind multiple times—I didn’t know that some very common digital music tools are AI-powered; that US law won’t grant a copyright to AI-generated work, while Chinese copyright law is more permissive; that AI is currently being used in Nashville to create pitch demos; or how indie tour managers are using AI to try to keep expenses down for their bands. If this sort of stuff is also interesting to *you*, there are still some spots available to attend—link in stories. I’ll be in attendance for the whole thing and will join the indie/punk legend Jenny Toomey on stage to ask her some questions about how technology can be aligned with the public interest.

DC.

Showz. Swipe around to check out some of our upcoming stops in the Midwest and Colorado. Be sang at and rapped unto. @yomchimusic to open in Eau Claire, @iamladymidnight to open in Mankato, @iamkaylamarque in Denver and Fort Collins. Ticket link: bye-oh.