♪ BRUSHY, BRUSHY BRUSH ♪ BRUSHY ♪ >> Cathy: THANKS SHELETTA, FOR THAT EARWORM NOW.

A NEW SEASON OF THE LOCAL MUSIC SERIES "STAGE" IS SET TO PREMIERE MONDAY.

FROM TWIN CITIES PBS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CURRENT, WHICH IS THE SISTER STATION OF MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO, THE LATEST WAVE OF EPISODES BRINGS TOGETHER MINNESOTA MUSICIANS AND UP-AND-COMING ARTISTS FOR UNIQUE COLLABS AND LIVE PERFORMANCES AT 7TH STREET ENTRY.

WE'LL HAVE THE PRODUCER OF "STAGE" HERE IN JUST A MOMENT, BUT FIRST, HERE'S A QUICK LOOK AT THIS UPCOMING SEASON.

>> 7TH STREET ENTRY, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA!

ONE, TWO.

ONE, WO, THREE, FOUR!

♪♪ >> WELCOME TO "STAGE."

FEATURING YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL MUSICIANS AND THE ARTISTS THEY WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT.

>> ♪ I GIVE UP ♪ SAY YOU'RE STARTING TO DANCE, GET UP ♪ ♪ >> UNFORGETTABLE PERFORMANCES AND THE STORIES BEHIND THE MUSIC.

>> YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR A LOT OF STORIES TONIGHT.

IF I CAN GET REAL WITH YOU, AND I THINK I CAN.

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ >> I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD REVEAL THIS AFTER ALL THESE YEARS.

>> I NEVER WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT.

I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS JUST SO HEAVY.

>> SOMETIMES YOU JUST DO SOMETHING AND IT TAKES YOU 30 MINUTES AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, WE GOT NOMINATED FOR A GRAMMY.

♪♪ >> HEN YOU PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE AS AN ARTIST, IT CAN BE OBVIOUSLY VERY VULNERABLE.

>> I'VE HAD TO BECOME BRAVER AS I REALIZE HOW MU MILLATING THIS CAN BE.

>> BEING A WEIRDO, SHY KID, WHO IDN'T QUITE FIT IN, MUSIC WAS SUCH A SALVATION.

MUSIC WAS WHERE I FOUND MY POWER.

>> Cathy: WOW!

JOINING US NOW TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE FOURTH SEASON OF "STAGE" AND THE ONGOING COLLABORATION WITH THE CURRENT, TWIN CITIES PBS PRODUCER KATE MCDONALD.

WELCOME.

>> HI, THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

>> Cathy: OKAY, SO WHEN SOMEONE COMES UP TO YOU, SAYS, KATE, WHAT IS THIS SHOW?

>> MY ELEVATOR SPEECH, I PROBABLY HAVE TO GET BETTER AT IT.

ONE OF OUR GUESTS, LAMAAR, I THINK THE STAGE ELEVATOR PITCH WOULD LSO BE TOO LONG.

BUT BASICALLY WHAT IT S IS YOUR FAVORITE OCAL MUSICIANS I CAN YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THEM BEFORE.

SO INTIMATE COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN ICONIC LOCAL ARTISTS AND THE MUSICIANS THEY WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT.

>> Eric: THE MISSION STATEMENT IS TO SHOW MUCH TALENT THERE IS IN MINNESOTA?

IS THAT FAIR TO SAY?

>> YEAH, GENERATIONALLY, INTERGENRELY, THERE'S SUCH A WIDE BREADTH AND DEPTH OF MUSICIANS HERE.

>> Cathy: APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THIS SHOW IS ACCESSIBLE.

YOU AVE THE LIVE ELEMENT.

BUT THERE'S ALSO -- OF COURSE WE LOVE RADIO, BUT E APPRECIATE THAT IT'S ON DIFFERENT PLATFORMS.

>> YES, THAT'S A BIG MISSION.

SHOW.

EVEN IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY A TICKET, THERE'S MANY WAYS TO ENGAGE WITH LOCAL MUSIC.

SO YOU CAN LISTEN TO IT ON THE CURRENT ON SUNDAY NIGHTS ON THE LOCAL SHOW AND YOU CAN WATCH IT ON TPT-2 ON MONDAY NIGHTS.

THERE'S SUCH WONDERFUL PROFESSIONALS.

I'VE DONE A LOT OF DIFFERENT MUSIC SHOWS.

SOME HERE, AND ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN AWESOME.

BUT THE 7TH STREET FOLKS REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

THEY DO THIS EVERY SINGLE NIGHT.

SO IT'S JUST SO EASY AROUND TURN-KEY FOR US TO COME IN, PRODUCE A REALLY WONDERFUL LIVE EVENT AND HAVE THEM AS PARTNERS.

>> Cathy: SO HAPPY THAT THE CURRENT IS WORKING WITH YOU ON THIS.

>> YES, IT'S BEEN REALLY, REALLY WONDERFUL, AND A LONG TIME IN THE MAKING.

THIS IS THE FIRST SEASON THAT WE'RE COLLABORATING TOGETHER.

SO IT'S A REALLY NATURAL FIT.

THEY DO SO MUCH FOR LOCAL MUSIC IN TOWN.

AND TO HAVE IT ON ANOTHER PLATFORM LIKE THE CURRENT THAT HAS UCH A REALLY STRONG AUDIENCE HAS BEEN REALLY PHENOMENAL.

>> Eric: ARE THERE OTHER SHOARNS AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT DO THIS TYPE OF A THING WHERE YOU HAVE THE MENTOR AND THE MENTEE?

>> I THINK WE'RE KIND OF UNIQUE.

I MEAN, I THINK -- >> Eric: IT IS KIND OF A UNIQUE PREMISE.

>> YEAH, I THINK SO.

I MEAN, MAYBE THERE ARE SOME OUT THERE THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT, BUT I DO REALLY THINK THIS IS A UNIQUE MODEL BECAUSE IT REALLY SAYS, HEY, HEADLINING MUSICIANS IN MINNESOTA, YOU REALLY KNOW WHO THE BEST PEOPLE COMING NUPT UP N THE SCENE.

AND SO WHAT BETTER THAN TO HAVE RECOMMENDATION FROM ALL THESE LOCAL MUSICIANS AND I CAN THE SCENE IS UNIQUE IN THAT WAY.

IT IS A REALLY SUPPORTIVE SCENE AND IT ALSO KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS THAT ASPECT.

>> Eric: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SEASON?

>> Cathy: EXACTLY.

GO AHEAD.

>> I CAN'T PICK A FAVORITE.

IT'S NOT ONLY THESE INTIMATE PERFORMANCES AT 7TH STREET, BUT WE ALSO GET TO INTERVIEW THE BANDS AND HAVE THEM DO SOME ON STAGE STORY TELLING AS WELL.

AND THEN THERE'S ALSO A COLLABORATION ELEMENT TO THE SHOW.

SO THE HEADLINER PICKS THE ARTIST AND THEN THEY COLLABORATE ON STAGE.

SO THAT'S REALLY SPECIAL.

AND SOME OF THESE BANDS HAVE NEVER BEEN TOGETHER ON STAGE BEFORE.

SO THE SUBURBS WHO WILL BE THE LAST SHOW IN THE SEASON, THEY PICKED MATT WILSON OF TRIP SHAKESPEARE FAME.

MATT HAS HAD MANY DIFFERENT BANDS AND HE'S BEEN A HUGE FAN OF THE SUBURBS.

HE KIND OF CITES THEM.

THEY MET ON THE STEPS.

HARVARD LIBRARY.

>> Eric: KHAN POLING.

>> YES, THE LEAD SINGER FOR THE SUBURBS.

BUT THEY NEVER HARED THE STAGE BEFORE THAT NIGHT.

>> Cathy: I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE KIND OF UP AND COMERS, JUST HOW THRILLED THEY MUST BE, RIGHT?

I MEAN, WHAT AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE FOR THEM.

>> I THINK IT'S AMAZING FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.

I THINK ALSO THE HEADLINERS, IT'S REALLY COOL TO BE ABLE TO COLLABORATE WITH PEOPLE THAT MAY BE A GENERATION OR TWO BEHIND THEM, BRINGING NEW THINGS TO THE TABLE, HE FACT THAT THEY GET TO THEN WORK TOGETHER AND COLLABORATE ON A SONG RI I THINK IS REALLY SPECIL AND HEAR WHY THEIR MUSIC HAS BEEN IMPORTANT.

YOU CAN LISTEN TO HEM FOR THE NEXT SIX WEEKS, THE NEW EPISODES WILL BE AIRING ON THE LOCAL SHOW WHICH STARTED AT 7:00 P.M. ON THE CURRENT.

AND THEN 9:00 P.M. ON MONDAY NIGHTS ON TPT-2.

>> Cathy: DO YOU HAVE A DIGITAL PLATFORM?

>> OH, MY GOSH.

THANK YOU, CATHY.

PBS APP, "STAGE," YOU CAN WATCH US AT ANY TIME OR ONLINE.

>> Cathy: THERE YOU GO.