With John
Perkins’ ninth benefit concert for the Edge Center
in August, we will learn a lot about some little known facts concerning this
“neck-of-the-woods”. One of the more
colorful facts is that there was a lot more “moonshine” being produced here
than one might expect. In fact, the state of Minnesota was one of the centers of making
illegal liquor during those years. It had its own preferred “brand” of the
product taking “Minnesota
13” moonshine way beyond the region. John Perkins brings his “brand” of music
to his annual Edge benefit concert this month. All the music he sings and plays is his
own. John is a very talented musician, singer, and songwriter from the Sand Lake
area of our state. You can sit back and enjoy his songs about the history,
people, and way of life here in the Chippewa forest plus something about his
other “home” in the “smoky mountains” where he spends half of the year enjoying
life a little south of Asheville North Carolina. John will be joined by his
“better-half” Sandy
with her, spoons, Cajon and wonderful energy.
The show will be on stage at the Edge Center
in Bigfork Saturday August 26 at 7PM. Prices $10 adults and $5 children.
Above, is a picture of John with his "Moonshine" prop that he made for this performance.
First a little bit about “Minnesota
13” moonshine. Back in the 1800's it was
thought that corn would not grow as far north as Minnesota
until some University of Minnesota researchers developed a corn strain they
called Minnesota
13. Sterns County
was a production center for lots of Minnesota
13 during prohibition. But, there were more than just a few moonshine stills
back in the woods this far north too. Here, other ingredients were used such as wheat and potatoes because there was so much of those available.
First a little bit about “
But
that is getting a little ahead of the story. With Minnesota 13 corn being growing well down
state, production rose and WWI provided ample market opportunities. The war
ended, depression hit and so did Prohibition. All that did not stop the corn
from growing, and with the silos filling, jobs disappearing and people needing
money, the moonshine industry was born in Minnesota with Minnesota 13 being a
preferred brand well beyond it boarders.
The production of illegal booze including Minnesota 13 flourished until prohibition was
repealed.
But let
us go back to Northern Minnesota Moonshine for a bit. Back then in the early
part of the 20th century and still today there is no federal law
exemption distilling spirits for family or personal use and every state has its
own set of laws regarding same. You just
couldn’t and still can’t do it legally. Now, there is a growing “craft
distilleries” industry happening that is following up the “Craft Breweries” industry, but back in the 1920's and 30's no such thing existed, so everyone who made
alcohol for drinking purposes was doing it to make illegal moonshine. Also back then the roads in northern
Minnesota
were not the best in the country, so getting around on them was not always easy,
and then there was the winter with which to deal. So why not wait for a good
snow storm to make sure you’d have no “visitors” on those snowy roads and fire up the still to make
some spirits? And if you needed more
volume you could always hide it in some ingenious place like under a chicken
coop. That is enough about moonshine,
and it is enough to just says it will be one of the topics in the John Perkins
concert.
You
will be amazed at the amount of music John creates. Some of the songs you may
have heard in his past concerts, but there is always so much more that will be
new. He keeps finding new ways to be amazed by our world and passes that onto
his audiences with his songs. There will be songs about homesteading at Max, the Zen of
fishing, making maple syrup, a talking shed (that is a new one), and a “Box of
Time” with a hole in the bottom. There will also be some of his other favorites
that tell stories like “A Plow and a Friend” and “Whitewater Slim”, a 1928
logger who tried to ride the logs through Dead Man’s rapids on the Little Fork river.
And don’t forget Chief Busticogan’s buried gold.
Audiences
learn about both places John lives, laugh a little, and maybe shed a tear. But anyway it is strummed,
it will be entertaining. To see an example of John's singing and song writing abilities, you can go to the following link: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=J8-yhAdYdmc
John
plays a large variety of instruments including six, eight and 12 string
guitars, a Resonator Steel Slide, and even a six-string banjo. Don’t forget
there might also be a tambourine, jug, washboard, and Cajone on stage. For more
information about John Perkins go to: http://www.jfp123.com And for some great Perkin’s music come to the concert on
stage at the Edge
Center in Bigfork
Saturday August 26 at 7PM. Prices $10 adults and $5 children.
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