CURTIS & LORETTA at The Roots Cellar at UBC

Saturday, March 22, 2025 at 7pm for $20

Curtis & Loretta are a folk singer-songwriter duo, guided by their love of good songs and inspired by the stories of people they have met in their over 40 years of touring. Weaving together soaring harmonies with a wild menagerie of instruments that includes guitars, harp, mandocello, banjo, ukulele, kazoo, harmonica, and percussion, the duo performs their poignant originals with humor and heart. Curtis' down-home sense of humor and Loretta's theater background engage the audience in an experience that runs the gamut of rolling with laughter to holding back tears, with plenty of side-trips in between. They rack up countless miles each year, crisscrossing the country to deliver their own unique brand of folk singer/songwriter music.

Based in Minneapolis, husband and wife duo Curtis & Loretta have been named "Best Acoustic Performers of the Twin Cities” (City Pages), landed on Folk Radio Chart's "Top Albums of the Year” and performed with such folk luminaries as Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Vassar Clements, Claudia Schmidt and Holly Near. They’ve also received several grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board, including the Creative Support for Individuals grant that backed their new album Lift the World – their 10th recording, which is already being called "a generous cornucopia of beautifully crafted songs that speak from the heart of the struggles and joys of life, performed with honesty, grace, and uncommon musicianship.” (Chris Vallillo, Ginridge Music). Featuring songs that were written during the pandemic, the album celebrates what is really important in this life, from the heartwarming to the heart breaking.

For the duo’s previous album, When There’s Good to Be Done, Loretta wrote about real-life, ordinary people, who overcame seemingly insurmountable challenges in their lives, and came out stronger for the journey. She interviewed each of these unsung heroes, mostly Minnesotans, and crafted their stories into song. They are tales of courage, resilience, kindness and determination. Curtis & Loretta’s albums are featured on MNspin, a curated online music streaming platform presented by Hennepin County Library, and Loretta has been a finalist in the Tumbleweed Folk Festival Songwriting Contest in Richland, Washington, and the Minnesota Minnesota Folk Festival Song Contest.

"When There’s Good to Be Done arrived yesterday. I AM BLOWN AWAY! What an incredible, meaningful collection of songs!" Meryle Korn, Portland (Oregon) Folk Music Society

“… gems of the local folk music community…” Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis

Curtis & Loretta Website

Roots Cellar is located at University Baptist Church in Dinkytown at 1219 University Ave SE, Minneapolis MN 55414.

Bus routes are a block away and parking is available in small lots next door, paid lots around Dinkytown, and street parking as well.