The 2024 Midwest Music Exchange featured Minnesota singer-songwriter Anna Graves, Anishinaabe poet and songwriter Leonard Sumner, Winnipeg-based francophone singer-songwriter Kelly Bado, and Minneapolis singer-songwriter Colin Bracewell.

A rainy Sunday night didn’t keep curious music fans away from Green Room, where The Current, Manitoba Music, and UMFM (the student radio station at the University of Manitoba) presented the four-artist showcase.

Anna Graves kicked off the proceedings, launching right into her original songs, much a reprise of her April 10 performance at The Current’s Minnesota Music Day event at the Forum at MPR. Realizing there may be some in the audience unfamiliar with her work, a couple songs into the set, Graves laughed and said, “I guess I should introduce myself — I’m Anna Graves.”

Anna Graves

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Next, Leonard Sumner graced the stage with his acoustic guitar, singing powerful songs interspersed with storytelling about his ancestors and his connection to the land and the rivers in the Little Saskatchewan First Nation, located between Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba. The organic sound of an acoustic guitar accompanying Sumner’s rich vocals created an ideal foundation for his songs’ sacred stories.

Leonard Sumner

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Kelly Bado, accompanied onstage by bassist and producer MJ Dandeneau, addressed the audience in French and English, talking about the country of her birth, Côte d’Ivoire, and her move to Canada and how her music spans those two parts of her life. Bado captivated the audience with songs that not only touched the heart but got people’s feet moving and heads bobbing.

Kelly Bado

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Closing out the night was Minneapolis singer-songwriter Colin Bracewell, accompanied by guitar player Ben Miller. Bracewell played the songs from his latest EP, Cozy, and closed out the evening with his song, “Making Me Crazy,” which elicited whoops of recognition from the audience. Bracewell said he is looking forward to playing in Winnipeg, noting that even though he was born in Windsor, Ontario, Tuesday night’s showcase will mark Bracewell’s first-ever Canadian show.

Colin Bracewell

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