Singer/Songwriter Joyann Parker is way too busy to sing in the shower. “I need to be in and out of there,” she said, but admitted she does use that time to listen to other music.
If you look at the gigs on her schedule throughout the summer (which you can at joyannparker.com) you’ll understand how lucky I was to catch her. Her next day off was over a week away. This is her way of life during the summer, playing all over Minnesota and Wisconsin. She sometimes plays with the Joyann Parker Band, sometimes as a duo, sometimes as a four piece, and also does tribute shows. Her Patsy Cline is divine.
Those who have heard her song Sconnie Girl know she was born in Wisconsin. “Well, you know I’m proud to be a Wisconsin Girl,” she sings in the fun upbeat song. “I’m small town bred but don’t count me out because I’m out here rocking this big old world.”
I recommend the song, which might mention a certain green football team. She also sings of hunting deer, fishing for muskies, and hating the Bears. It can be seen on Joyann Parker’s YouTube channel.
Though she is back in Wisconsin now, she moved to Minneapolis after graduating at UW Lacrosse. She lived in the cities for twenty years before finding herself back in Wisconsin. Her daughter is also a musician at 17 years old. She plays the piano and likes to sing. She’s featured on Joyann’s music video for Roots, which is also the name of her 3rd studio album that was released last year. She also has a 13-year-old son who likes music but, according to Joyann, is more focused on football.
I told Joyann that I was having a hard time explaining her style of music to my husband. Was it soul, blues, rock, country…all the above?
“Americana is a great term we now have,” she replied. “We have this new genre, and it fits those of us that don’t fit in a very good box, I think. Lots of people who are old school country are Americana now.”
The AI on Google told me that Americana music is contemporary music that incorporates elements of American roots music styles like country, bluegrass, R&B, rock, and folk.
“It’s a pretty big umbrella,” Joyann said. “It feels like a lot of the stuff the other genres don’t know what to do with go to Americana. Like the old school stuff, more of what you would hear in the 60s and 70s,” she said. “You know what new country sounds like. So, people who play old school country don’t fit into country music anymore. “
Joyann’s musical roots started early in life, singing at 2 years old with her mom who was a church musician. Though she dreamed of joining a band and singing professionally, she felt it might be unrealistic.
“It doesn’t seem like something you should do because you don’t make a ton of money,” she said. “I was thinking I should have a real job.”
She did set out to get a “real job,” going to school to become a pharmacist. “It would’ve been a really bad idea,” she laughed. She taught music for a while and worked jobs that allowed her to avoid putting her kids in day care. It was only 11 years ago when she finally pursued the dream and formed the Joyann Parker Band.
She credits her supportive husband for allowing her to dedicate much of time to music. I asked if he was a musician which made her laugh. “Definitely not!” she replied. “He would say that, too. He’s very far away from it. He’s a vice president of quality at an aluminum factory.”
She also credits her bandmates for the success that they’ve found in the music scene saying, “I’m very blessed to work with the same people all the time.”
Mark Lamoine is the guitarist and her business partner. “We run stuff together,” Joyann said. “We’ve been working together for 11 years.”
Tim Wick is the keyboardist. “He has played with a lot of people,” said Joyann said of the Iron Range based musician. “He’s been around the block with a bunch of blues players and jazz players.”
Their drummer Bill Golden is multi-talented. “I love to say Bill is a great drummer, but we keep him around because he knows how to fix things,” Joyann teased. “He’s a great singer. So, he’s a singing drummer, which is what you always want when you can find one. He’s a great all-around guy.”
Another multi-talented player, Scott Graves is the band’s horn player but he also brings his flute, congas, and acoustic guitar along to gigs. She has told him if he leaves the band, she’ll need 5 people to replace him. “It’s amazing how many things he brings to a gig,” Joyann explained. “Pretty lucky to have him around, too, to fill in all those holes.”
The newest member of the group has been with the Joyann Band for a few years. Chris Bates is on the bass and plays with a lot of well-known jazz players and his own groups, as well.
“Great people. That’s the real key, right? You’re spending a lot of time together so you really want to make sure that if you can like each other as well….and we really do so it’s wonderful,” Joyann said.
She’s not a stranger to the area. Not only did she visit many times throughout her life, she also played in the last season of the concert series.
“I grew up in Northern Wisconsin, so we were at the north shore quite a bit,” she said. “I absolutely love it. I was very happy to be able to spend the weekend out there. Everybody was so kind, all the people putting on the concerts were so kind, and it was so fun.”
After the Friday night show on August 2nd, Joyann will perform with Mark as a duo at a benefit house concert the following night. (More information on these concerts can be found on page 9 of this issue of the Northshore Journal.)
“We love those,” Joyann said of house concerts. “We’ve done a few of those concerts so far this summer in very small venues. Some people don’t like that because you’re very naked, right? There’s no hiding behind loud music or anything. But I love them, they really fill my cup as a musician because people are really interested and listening. They want to hear your stories, they want to know about the songs and things. I really love that. It really fills up my heart so I’m looking forward to it.”
She encourages fans to come out to see the band play on both nights.
“We provide a lot of fun. I think it is because of how we are as a band, and we provide something that a lot of people can’t with music. It’s just a different kind of energy when we like each other and we’re creating something new every time we play. If you’ve seen us before it won’t be the same thing. You’ll always see something different. We’re creating something new every time we play,” she said.
The Big Wu opened on July 19th to quite a crowd with around 600 people there to listen to the band.
“The band was great,” Nelson French, who serves as Rocky Wall Productions’ president, reflected. “We’re really really pleased with the turnout on Friday night. It was the perfect evening for music. The band had a great time. They said it was fun to play to the crowd from the stage in downtown Silver Bay.”
Nelson explained to me that there is a lot of interest in the music community and many bands want to come to play in the series.
“All these guys talk to each other,” he said. And they are all helping to put Silver Bay on the map, especially with the popular Jayhawks on the roster. “It’s going to build on itself.”
Marc Perlman, the bass player with the Jayhawks, was interviewed by Carol Roth in an Adventures in Americana article. When asked about playing in Silver Bay, Marc replied that a true Minnesotan would always jump at the chance to spend time up the North Shore. They had heard of the gig from other musicians and are happy to support community music non-profits.
Come out to see Joyann, the Jayhawks, and the other great musicians who are visiting Silver Bay throughout the remainder of the summer. If you catch this issue early enough, you may have time to see Trailer Trash at the City Center Park on Friday, July 26th, from 7:30-9:00 PM. It’s encouraged to bring a chair and to come early for a spot!
For tickets and more information about the Silver Bay Music in the Park series or the benefit house concerts visit rockywallproductions.org.
