Dua Saleh
It’s tempting to describe Dua Saleh as a natural. An artist who only began recording music two years ago isn’t supposed to sing with such infectious bravado and haunting gloom. Yet to say Dua, who identifies as gender non-binary and goes by they/them pronouns, has arrived fully-formed on their first ever EP project titled Nūr - (pronounced “noor” - meaning “the light” in Arabic). They may have just decided to try songwriting, but they’ve spent their life working across divisions: borders, mediums, identities, and protest lines.
It’s Dua Saleh’s fluidity of sound and form that makes them so enlivening. Their vocal range is elastic, floating from an elegant purr into an unvarnished, guttural growl, and then back again at a moment’s notice. Their writing can be dreamy, but more often plumbs the soul, pricking deep with a poet’s precision and showing the scars that remain. To listen to Dua Saleh is to hear, in real time, someone fight for the right to define themselves for themselves.
It’s Dua Saleh’s fluidity of sound and form that makes them so enlivening. Their vocal range is elastic, floating from an elegant purr into an unvarnished, guttural growl, and then back again at a moment’s notice. Their writing can be dreamy, but more often plumbs the soul, pricking deep with a poet’s precision and showing the scars that remain. To listen to Dua Saleh is to hear, in real time, someone fight for the right to define themselves for themselves.
Run Westy Run
Run Westy Run was one of the great Twin Cities bands of the 80s, but decades later, in retrospect, they tend to get lost in the glare of an effervescent Minnesota music scene at the time that had no shortage of bright lights: The Replacements, Husker Du, Soul Asylum, The Jayhawks, Prince, Flyte Tyme, plus countless other sparkling contenders, many now lost to the sands of time. They were formed in 1984 by 3 brothers from St. Louis Park, MN - Kirk, Kyle and Kraig Johnson - along with Terry Fisher and Bob Joslyn, and were named after a 1966 children's book off the same name.
The “Westies”, as they soon became known, started out as an intensely chaotic, Stooge-y hard rock band, later evolving into a hard-to-define amalgam of indie, rock, roots, punk and funk, driven by a ferocious, lusty energy that infected any live audience they came in contact with. They've released 3 studio LPs and a handful of singles and EPs over the years but their enduring legacy has largely been defined by their reputation as one of finest live bands to ever come out of the Land of 10,000 Lakes. After a 15 year hiatus, Run Westy Run returned to the action in late 2013 with a gala holiday show at First Ave. They finally issued a live album in 2014 that captured some of their live magic and released a digital EP in late 2017 that shows them evolving in new, exciting directions.
Still rocking local stages on a semi-regular basis, the current lineup of RWR consists of founding members Kraig & Kirk Johnson and Terry Fisher, supplemented by a crackerjack rhythm section of drummer-about-town Peter Anderson and bassist Paul McFarland. Anyone who has seen the Westies lately can attest that they're still as vital as ever, maybe even more so.
The “Westies”, as they soon became known, started out as an intensely chaotic, Stooge-y hard rock band, later evolving into a hard-to-define amalgam of indie, rock, roots, punk and funk, driven by a ferocious, lusty energy that infected any live audience they came in contact with. They've released 3 studio LPs and a handful of singles and EPs over the years but their enduring legacy has largely been defined by their reputation as one of finest live bands to ever come out of the Land of 10,000 Lakes. After a 15 year hiatus, Run Westy Run returned to the action in late 2013 with a gala holiday show at First Ave. They finally issued a live album in 2014 that captured some of their live magic and released a digital EP in late 2017 that shows them evolving in new, exciting directions.
Still rocking local stages on a semi-regular basis, the current lineup of RWR consists of founding members Kraig & Kirk Johnson and Terry Fisher, supplemented by a crackerjack rhythm section of drummer-about-town Peter Anderson and bassist Paul McFarland. Anyone who has seen the Westies lately can attest that they're still as vital as ever, maybe even more so.
Gully Boys
Born from passion, Kathy, Nadirah and Natalie make up the Minneapolis 3 piece that Gully Boys is today. Gully Boys melodic tunes and raw lyrics make it hard to believe that in 2016, none of them knew how to play their instruments. Drawing inspiration from a multitude of musical backgrounds, Gully Boys transcends genre. Through hard work, diligent practice and fresh enthusiasm Gully Boys recorded their first LP Not So Brave released August 12th of 2018 and won City Pages Picked to Click 2018: Gully Boys are Minnesota's best new band!
Nazeem & Spencer Joles
Nazeem & Spencer Joles are an Afro/Latino Hip-Hop duo from Minneapolis, MN. Their first mixtape, "The Album" garnered local attention for exhibiting clever lyricism, mainstream appeal, and genre bending. Now following the release of their EP, "Years Of Obscurity" they have been solidified as young underground staples in the Twin Cities, which also earned them a position in the 2017 Soundset Festival (Alongside the likes of Lauryn Hill, Travis Scott, and Pusha T) to which their performance received rave reviews. They are also gaining recognition as multi-faceted artists; beyond self-producing their own music, they design their own album artwork and direct/edit their own cinematic music videos.
International Dance Performances
CAAM Chinese Dance Theater
Traditional Aztec Dancing by
Elohuayotl Mitotiani
Somali Museum Dance Troupe
Calling all Volunteers!
At the Whittier Alliance, we rely heavily on volunteers to make sure we can achieve our goals; the Eat Street Food, Music, & Arts Festival is no different. All Eat Street Fest volunteers will receive a food/drink voucher for any festival vendor and a volunteer t-shirt upon arrival. Be sure to sign up by Friday, August 30th to guarantee your preferred t-shirt size!
THANK YOU to all our 2018 volunteers for making the inaugural year such a success. Check out all available shift times and responsibilities for this year's event!
THANK YOU to all our 2018 volunteers for making the inaugural year such a success. Check out all available shift times and responsibilities for this year's event!
