Rochester Public Music

09/08/2026

ICYMI...

Here are some photos courtesy of Kate Klaus Photography from our last show of the summer!

Me Like Bees with Scorched Waves: August 8, 2026

FORWARD Park Concerts are generously supported by the Mayo Clinic and 106.9 KROC FM.

08/27/2026

And that's a wrap...

What a summer it's been! Thank you so much to Me Like Bees and Scorched Waves for closing us out on our last concert of the season.

A huge thank you to our sponsors and media partners – the Mayo Clinic, KROC 106.9, Townsquare Media, and the Minnesota State Arts Board – for their support of live music.

We are especially grateful to Rochester Parks & Recreation, the Rochester Police Department, Rochester Public Works, our phenomenal photographer Kate Klaus Photography (who took all of these amazing photos!), and all of the Rochester City Interns for their presence and assistance during these concerts.

Most of all, thank you to our audience! Through bad weather and construction alike, we are grateful to those who showed up, danced, sang along, and helped created the kind of space where community bonds are made.

Although Riverside, FORWARD, and Passport Sessions won't be back until 2027, stay tuned for some special music events happening this fall...

See you next time!

08/26/2026

TONIGHT at Cook Park Me Like Bees and opener Scorched Waves will play us off for our final FORWARD concert of the summer! Vendors open at 5:00 PM, and music starts at 5:30.

See more details and find updates here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1WrD7pqs4d/

See you there! 🎶🌲

08/25/2026

It's the last one! Join us tomorrow, August 26th at 5:30 PM for our final FORWARD concert featuring Me Like Bees with opener Scorched Waves.

Find more details about the concert and look for any updates here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DeDiRUNGp/

FORWARD: Local music, local parks.

Rochester Public Music is excited to welcome Me Like Bees with opener Scorched Waves on Wednesday, August 26 at Cook Park for our final FORWARD concert of the 2026 summer season. Music starts at 5:30pm, and no registration is required.

They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!” Psalm 118:12 - No, this isn’t a Sam Jackson quote from the latest grindhouse inspired Tarantino film; it’s the impetus behind the Joplin, MO band Me Like Bees. Formed on the heels of the 2000s indie rock scene, the band was started by college dropout Pete Burton and former gas station clerk Luke Sheafer in 2009. The duo shared a mutual affinity for the music of the aughts. Bands like The Strokes, Modest Mouse, The White Stripes and Franz Ferdinand would serve as the catalyst to the danceable, guitar-driven rock that Me Like Bees became known for.

“I remember the way I felt when I first heard Ball and a Biscuit by the White Stripes,” Sheafer says, “That’s the moment I decided that, yeah, this music thing is what I want to do with my life. I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since.”

In 2017, the pair were joined by current bass player, Jake Bennett. Bennett was already familiar to the band, having served as the group’s touring merch manager for several years prior. The most recent addition to the band is drummer, Ben Davis. Davis had been working as an elementary school counselor when he, through an unlikely series of events, heard that Me Like Bees was looking for a drummer. In true Kurt Warner fashion, Davis left his position at the school to pursue his lifelong passion of playing music.

In 2014, they won first prize at the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands in Hollywood California, beating out 20,000 other bands and securing a coveted spot on the Vans Warped Tour. In 2018, they partnered with Image Comics and artist Jeremy Haun for the release of their graphic novel inspired EP, Songs From The Realm. Hear more from Me Like Bees here: https://www.melikebees.com/

Find more information and see updates about the event here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1EYvezmyJj/

For more information on the FORWARD concert series and Rochester Public Music, check out our website: https://www.rochestermn.gov/activities-parks-culture/music/.

FORWARD Park Concerts are generously supported by the Mayo Clinic and 106.9 KROC FM.

08/20/2026

Woohoo! Thank you so much to everyone who came to hear Raynes and JoJo Green at White Oak Park yesterday evening. Rochester has some phenomenal dancers!

There's still time to bust a move this summer - our final FORWARD concert is next Wednesday at Cook Park featuring Me Like Bees and opener Scorched Waves. See you soon! 🎶

08/19/2026

08/18/2026

Catch Raynes with JoJo Green tomorrow at White Oaks Park!

Limited parking will be available at both the White Oaks parking lot and Christ Community Church's west parking lot. Both lots will include accessible parking spaces. Biking and walking is encouraged!

Find more info about the event here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DT1smf2JF/

FORWARD: Local music, local parks.

Rochester Public Music is excited to welcome Raynes with opener JoJo Green on Wednesday, August 19 at White Oaks Park. Music starts at 5:30pm, and no registration is required.

British-American trio Raynes have wasted no time making themselves heard. Signing with Sony Music Publishing less than a year after their inception, the group has since released six singles, three EPs, and held performances at sold-out venues across the US and the UK. Now, their singular blend of pop, folk, and world music is being featured on television shows, commercials, and tastemakers’ playlists, earning them hundreds of thousands of monthly listeners and millions of streams across platforms.

Mat Charley and Joe Berger, both born and raised in North Dakota, met in college, where Mat - the band’s producer and multi-instrumentalist - was usually skipping class to write songs.

Knowing that they would need a strong vocalist, they took to the internet to find the missing piece of their project. “We were looking for a needle in an enormous haystack,” says Mat. “To be honest, we didn’t think our chances were very good at all.” After months of searching, they struck gold with UK native Mark Race, who, after a Facebook message and a few phone calls, was on a flight ten days later to Los Angeles.

The trio's fusion has proven to be a winning combination. As Raynes, they combine their diverse influences to form a group whose taste spans the globe, incorporating elements of folk, Americana, and baroque pop with Celtic and world music to create a wholly original sound. Raynes’ newest project, a seven-song EP entitled Bloom, was released in June of 2025. Find out more about Raynes here: https://www.raynesmusic.com/

Find more information and see updates about the event here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1FxFgsdXbo/

For more information on the FORWARD concert series and Rochester Public Music, check out our website: https://www.rochestermn.gov/activities-parks-culture/music/.

FORWARD Park Concerts are generously supported by the Mayo Clinic and 106.9 KROC FM.

08/13/2026

08/13/2026

Wow! What a phenomenal turnout at our 4th FORWARD concert of the summer featuring jeremy messersmith and Teeth.! Thanks so much to everyone who came to the John Withers Sports Complex to enjoy great music, great food, and each other. (We owe some thanks to the weather for finally cooperating too.)

We hope to see you next week at White Oaks Park for music by Raynes featuring JoJo Green! See you later!

FORWARD Park Concerts are generously supported by the Mayo Clinic and 106.9 KROC FM.

Want all your concert info in one place? Download the Rochester Public Music app here: https://shorturl.at/08QMU