David “Chilly” Caufman turns 50 Saturday, and his birthday party at The Hook and Ladder Theater in South Minneapolis is both a music festival and fundraiser.
Heart & Seoul Connection, which features a diverse lineup headlined by Mikel Wright & The Wrongs, tops another busy week of live, psychedelic music in Minnesota.
Caufman, a Korean-born adoptee, is attempting to raise funds so that he and other Korean adoptees can visit their country of birth. The event starts at 7 p.m.
“My whole entire life, I’ve wanted to return to South Korea,” Caufman said in an email response. “Fear of the unknown, along with financial barriers have always held me back from pursuing my dream to visit my birth country. My desire to travel back grew more in my 40s but I was terrified of how to process or plan for the most difficult trip of my entire lifetime.”
Financial instability and lack of cultural resources were the biggest reasons he didn’t sooner explore the options, he said.
Caufman, who said he is working with a 501(c)(3), more recently connected with other Korean adoptees in the Twin Cities, which helped him realize “how many of us are seeking that first visit back but can't afford the expensive trip.”
The event will help cover airline expenses, lodging and accommodations for Caufman and other Korean adoptees living in Minnesota seeking to travel to South Korea for the first time and connect with their cultural roots.
“We all deserve to return to the land we were born, when the time is right for each, regardless of our financial background,” he said.
Caufman is well known among Minneapolis music lovers. You’ve seen him working at First Avenue venues or at Electric Fetus or at shows. He said his involvement in the music scene began in 1993 when he performed with LEEP 27, freestyle rapping, something he’s done since with other groups, including God Johnson.
Mikel Wright and The Wrongs. PHOTO PROVIDED
“Over the last 30-plus years I have attended shows, promoted concerts, befriended my heroes, and supported these peers during their shows, performances, house parties, events, and life celebrations,” he wrote. “I wanted to represent DJs, emcees, bands, performers, dancers, artists and all forms of creativity. I started to envision a collective consciousness of my favorite local Minnesota musicians of all genres to represent diversity in our scene, and that's where the fun began.”
The other artists performing include Kanser, Unknown Prophets, Mayda, The Limns, Shannon Blowtorch, Heatbox x Reed Grimm, Sean Anonymous, DJ MXLV, Lady Midnight, DJ Gabe Garcia, Push & Turn, DJ Huh?What? and Chance York. There will be three rooms of live music, silent auctions, art giveaways and dancers from Hyptonica, Shimmy & Spice Bellydance, breakdancers, fire performers and a smoking patio.
I asked what it meant to him to have so much support.
“I wish that I could put it into words because it is our communities who I owe all my gratitude for stepping up to support something I feel so passionate about,” he wrote. “These musicians helped me through so many situations where I have felt alone in this world. Music heals and I applaud each musician for sharing their craft to help us in dark times. The desire to help others has always been my goal, but to know this will help people with similar stories and backgrounds, means the world to me. To be able to provide cushion of financial support and resources to help allow a healing process and journey to identity or cultural exploration makes my heart smile. We all deserve a sense of belonging in this world and acceptance to explore our hearts’ desires. May this fundraiser Heart & Seoul Connection begin that chase.”
+++
Of course, there’s much more music that’ll I’ll highlight, starting with a trio including Bela Fleck, Edmar Castenada and Antonio Sanchez at the Dakota. They’ll be performing two shows each night both today and Tuesday, the first show starting at 6:30 p.m. each night and the second at 8:30 p.ms
UPDATE>TUESDAY
Jazz legends Bob James and Dave Koz play the Parkway Theater, supporting their new duet LP Just Us. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
TWINE’s weekly residency show at Bunkers continues to gain steam. This week the special guests include Feed the Dog guitarist Jon Miller and Brotherhood of Birds mandolinist Gavin Haskin. Both of them are part of Ginstrings, a singer-songwriter-y string band that is slated to reunite this summer at Blue Ox Music Festival in Eau Claire, Wis.
THURSDAY
There are a pair of month-long residencies that wrap up on Thursday.
Duluth’s Saltydog, with special guest Colleen “Boss Mama” Myhre, play The Hook & Ladder Theater’s The Zen Arcade/Mission Room.
Lighter Co’s Icehouse residency also concludes with special guests Valors, Max & the Fellow Travelers, and Juliet Farmer.
Up in Duluth, LazyLightning420 has a free gig at Bent Paddle’s Cosmic stage from 6 to 9 p.m.
FRIDAY
Built To Last Music Festival celebrates the music of the Grateful Dead at The Hook and Ladder Theater. The All-Star band including Greg Schutte, JT Bates, Sammy Weyandt and Eddie “Hondo” Juntunen, among others. BigFoot County, Tom Freund and New Line Riders also share the bill.
Space Monkey Mafia, Modern Joey, JoJo Green and Fairy Boat play at Icehouse starting at 8 p.m. (Doors at 6).
Down at Winona’s No Name Bar, Afflatus with Max & The Fellow Travelers with Luke Callen play at 9:30 p.m. (Doors at 9).
SATURDAY
Asides from Heart and Seoul Connection, there are a few other excellent live music options.
Wax Tailor, the French DJ and producer, along with Napolean Da Legend, perform at Fine Line with the show starting at 8 p.m. (doors at 7).
The Kung Fu Hippies release their new LP at Bunkers starting at 9:30 p.m.