From Tina: The holidays should be a time of giving, and we wanted to do some giving back. We wanted to pick something that may be a little overlooked. So we decided to do a menstrual product and diaper drive! There are toy drives, food shelves, and clothes donations that are so important during this time but I'm hoping we can show some love to this purpose too! PERIOD. Women living in shelters or below the poverty line have to make tough choices. Whether it’s using some pretty unsanitary means each month or choosing to feed their families instead of spending money on their monthly needs, it just isn’t right for anyone to be put in that position. This is not just a women’s issue; this is a human issue. I want the men to be just as proud of making their donations. There is no shame here! This benefits us all, making the world healthier and giving people the fundamental dignity we all deserve!

Emmy Woods hosts this monthly songwriter spotlight series at MetroNome Brewery in St. Paul. This month Emmy will be joined by Becky Kapell and Molly Brandt.

“Hey baby, do you wanna take a trip with me? / I’ve got a feeling there might be a silver lining all around.” So begins One Day, the captivating new album from critically acclaimed Minneapolis duo The Cactus Blossoms. Written and recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, the record explores the tension between optimism and despair that’s defined much of the past few years of American life, examining the power (or naïveté, depending on your perspective) of positive thinking in the face of chaos and uncertainty. The songs here are tender and timeless, with straightforward arrangements centered around brothers Jack Torrey and Page Burkum’s airtight harmonies, and the performances are warm and intimate to match, delivered with a soulful, ’70s-inspired palette of playful Wurlitzer, breezy guitars, and muscular percussion.

Hailed as "the Twin Cities' most beloved new traditional-country act” by The Minneapolis Star Tribune, The Cactus Blossoms broke out nationally in 2016 with their JD McPherson-produced debut, You’re Dreaming. Dates with Kacey Musgraves, Jenny Lewis, and Lucius followed, as did raves from the New York Times and NPR, who praised “the brothers’ extraordinary singing.” The band was further catapulted into the spotlight in 2018, when David Lynch tapped them to perform in the return of Twin Peaks, and continued to build on their success with their 2019 sophomore LP, Easy Way, which led Rolling Stone to laud the duo’s “rock-solid, freak of genetics harmonies.” Becky Kapell and The Fat 6 open this show!