Two award winning quartets performing at the 52nd annual barbershop harmony show
FIRST AVE of Minneapolis, MN will be one of the featured groups to perform at the 52nd annual Barbershop Harmony Show at the Martin Anderson Gymnasium in Colfax April 22. —photo submitted
THE GENTLEMEN will perform at the 52nd annual Barbershop Harmony Show at the Martin Anderson Gymnasium in Colfax April 22. —photo submitted
On Saturday, April 22, 2023 at 7:00 p.m., the Dunn County Northern Lights Chorus and local quartets along with two great Land O’ Lakes District quartets champions will present their 52nd Annual Barbershop Harmony Show, “Strike Up The Band!”, at the Martin Anderson High School Gymnasium in Colfax, WI.
Hailing from Minneapolis Minnesota, First Ave tips its cap to all the arts and culture that the Twin Cities Metro area has to offer – especially live music. The legendary First Avenue rock venue and tiny side bar have launched careers of some of the best up and coming musicians since it first opened in 1970. First Ave [Quartet] is what you get when 4 singers from 4 different musical back-grounds meet in one of the Country’s premiere cultural places. The quartet was ecstatic to be crowned Land O’ Lakes District Champions of the Barbershop Harmony Society in October of 2019, and embodies the Twin Cities culture, while adding some attitude and a little flare. Music performed by the quartet ranges from classic barbershop to swing, spirituals, jazz, country, choral, and even some more modern songs – all in the acapella style. First Ave is working to become the Twin Cities’ premiere barbershop quartet as they continue to expand their rep and deliver an eclectic musical experience at shows, glows, festivals, and public and private events around the Midwest and beyond!
In late 2010, Keith Olson, Heath Walker, Brent Graham, and Steve McDonald sang their first chord as a quartet. These experienced singers quickly realized this combination was something special. GQ became the 2011 Land O’ Lakes quartet champion and went on to compete at the BHS International contest three times, finishing as high as 22nd. The quartet retired in 2014, but their friendship contin-ued, overcoming distance, life changes, and even a pandemic!
Early in 2022, these guys realized their lives were just better when they got together to sing, so they decided to put the band back together. Their quartet name had been taken over by the fabulous women’s quartet – the BHS 2022 4th place Bronze Medalists – so a new name had to be chosen. We are proud to welcome to the stage, The Gentlemen!
The Dunn County Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society is a non-profit community service organization that exists for the enjoyment of our members and those we entertain. We are an active supporter of vocal music education in our area schools; offering music, demonstrations, and providing grants to area school vocal music programs.
For more information, please call or contact:(715) 579-0823 or segdairy@gmail.com
Visit us: www.dcbarbershop.org and Facebook: Dunn County Barbershoppers