(upbeat music) - [Narrator] Your favorite local musicians like you have never seen them before.

(crowd cheering) Intimate collaborations between iconic artists and the musicians they want you to know about.

Tonight, Chastity Brown, featuring Humbird.

It's all happening right now live on the legendary 7th St.

Entry Stage.

(crowd cheering) (upbeat music) Mining the roots of Americana, folk, and soul music, Chastity's songs feel remarkably timely, modern, and forward-thinking.

- [Announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, introducing Chastity Brown.

(crowd cheering) ♪ Don't you ever miss me ♪ When you're gone ♪ Off to silence ♪ Hear the cars ♪ On the street ♪ All that we need ♪ Hear the screaming in the quiet ♪ ♪ O'er the banks of blue ♪ Don't you ever miss me ♪ When your dark skies ♪ Turn to blue ♪ Wake up, honey ♪ Love come on soon ♪ Wake up, honey ♪ Love come on soon ♪ Curl up at night ♪ Shades of blues ♪ And it's lingering ♪ Like the night ♪ Standing on ♪ 45 and bloom ♪ It was getting hot there ♪ You were so near dear ♪ Then it faded to ♪ Don't you ever miss me ♪ When your daytime ♪ Turns to blue ♪ Here we go ♪ Wake up, honey ♪ Love come on soon ♪ Wake up, honey ♪ Love come on soon (instrumental solo) ♪ I've been waiting so long ♪ For you ♪ Won't you come on home ♪ Soon (mellow instrumental solo) - Maybe we can sing it together.

♪ Wake up, honey ♪ Love come on - Y'all are ready.

(audience laughs) Let me hear ya.

♪ Wake up, honey ♪ Love come on soon ♪ Yeah ♪ Wake up, honey ♪ Love come on ♪ Wake up, honey ♪ Love come on (instrumental solo) (audience cheering) (mellow music) - My name is Chastity Brown.

I am a musician and singer songwriter based in Minneapolis.

Traveling around and singing to people is a very ancient job.

I don't know, I feel like I'm a part of the heart function of society.

The stage is my most sacred place.

It's my most vulnerable place as well, but I also have this like mental image of standing behind the songs that I'm singing.

So I'm never the only thing out there, if that makes sense.

Like if you feel like you're not alone, then you can walk through the world like that.

A number of the songs on this new record are very much falling in love in Minneapolis.

This song is also very much me paying homage to Prince, and those high notes, and that sexy, sexy sexiness.

♪ Woke up from a crazy dream last night ♪ ♪ You were in my arms sleeping ♪ By my side ♪ It pulled me from a dark, cold space in my mind ♪ ♪ Yeah, this love's the warmest thing to find ♪ ♪ And I would wait for the sun to come up ♪ ♪ You're like the sun ♪ You're like the sun, yeah ♪ And I would wait for the sun to come up ♪ ♪ You're like the sun ♪ You're like the sun, yeah ♪ When we hooked up the summer's heat was full on ♪ ♪ And we biked through the city streets just 'cause ♪ ♪ I kissed you on the lips that night, oh, love ♪ ♪ And I got home the sun was coming up ♪ ♪ And I would wait for the sun to come up ♪ ♪ You're like the sun ♪ You're like the sun, yeah ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ I would wait for the sun to come up ♪ ♪ You're like the sun ♪ You're like the sun, yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ Ooh, ooh - My father was a jazz and blues musician.

I felt like over the past years of me being a songwriter that I very much have sonically always really kept it close to that heritage.

And it only occurred to me on this record, like if my father were alive, how bored he might be.

I felt pressed to try to do my own new version of this lineage of this roots music.

And so the centerpiece was still the stories the melody and then the new centerpiece was also the groove.

Making this record with drummers first, and then adding in the rest of the sonic palette that relays the emotion of hopefully a good time.

♪ Rolling, we were just cruising down the strip ♪ ♪ Moving by the click ♪ They were talking 'bout what they don't know ♪ ♪ Young, dumb and busted and all of us was trusting ♪ ♪ Wings we had would carry us to something unpredictable ♪ ♪ Sun was going, going down ♪ Windows open, we would cruise around ♪ ♪ Sun was going, going down ♪ And you were in the back seat, I was in front ♪ ♪ In the middle, all our dreams were probable cause ♪ ♪ Probably, we didn't know what's ahead of us ♪ ♪ Never felt so free (instrumental solo) ♪ Fast-forward I'm up in LA ♪ And I'm stuck up in lanes barely moving ♪ ♪ Running late to my own show ♪ The city!

Lit like the back roads ♪ ♪ Where lovers at midnight giving what they got ♪ ♪ Hoping that they'll get some more ♪ ♪ Sun was going, going down ♪ Windows open, we would cruise around ♪ ♪ Sun was going, going down ♪ And you were in the back seat, I was in front ♪ ♪ In the middle, all our dreams were probable cause ♪ ♪ Probably, we didn't know what's ahead of us ♪ ♪ Never felt so free ♪ Felt so, ooh ♪ Ooh ♪ Felt so, ooh ♪ Ooh ♪ Sun was going, going down ♪ Windows open, we would cruise around ♪ ♪ Sun was going, going down ♪ And you were in the back seat, I was in front ♪ ♪ In the middle, all our dreams were probable cause ♪ ♪ Probably, we didn't know what's ahead of us ♪ ♪ Never felt so free ♪ Felt so, ooh ♪ Ooh ♪ Felt so, ooh ♪ Ooh ♪ I never felt so (crowd cheering) - Humbird is a fantastic local singer songwriter and musicianist, what I think one of the most gorgeous voices that I've ever heard.

- I'm really excited for the show, and I'm honored that Chastity picked me to be part of it and supporting her set.

It's just, that's always a really special thing to do for an artist you like.

- I wanted Humbird here tonight to just be swept away in the vivid imagery that she presents to us in her gorgeous songwriting.

So without further ado, please welcome Humbird.

(crowd cheering) - Thanks for coming out.

I'm really honored to be on the stage with Chastity, and I'll just get the music going.

This first song is called Pharmakon.

♪ I will be your pharmakon ♪ Keep you well when day is young ♪ ♪ Light your life just like the sun ♪ ♪ Steal your breath when day is done ♪ ♪ Love like a poison ♪ September ♪ Is going, going, gone ♪ I will be your remedy ♪ Bring you up and help you see ♪ ♪ Hold you close then set you free ♪ ♪ Promise what I cannot keep ♪ Buried deep ♪ is a quiet seed ♪ Winter comes ♪ and all the small creatures sleep ♪ ♪ I will be your rising moon ♪ Across the water, calling loon ♪ ♪ Here and there but leaving soon ♪ ♪ Lonely and pining for you ♪ Love ♪ You're a fickle rule ♪ Go home, you're drunk ♪ You wandering fool ♪ I will be your pharmakon ♪ Keep you well when day is young ♪ ♪ Light your life just like the sun ♪ ♪ Steal your breath when day is done ♪ ♪ Love ♪ Like a poison ♪ September ♪ Is going, going ♪ Going ♪ Going, going ♪ Going (crowd cheering) - Thank you.

This next song is called Plum Sky.

It has lots of lockdown highlights like taking a shower, which is like often the highlight of the day.

(Humbird laughs) Cribbage, which I played 1,000 games of in the first month, and have not, I can't even look at that game now.

I used to love it.

(playing "Plum Sky") ♪ Burned my skin in the water ♪ I didn't mind it ♪ At least it was a feeling that was different ♪ ♪ The moon was hot and high ♪ If you don't keep an eye ♪ On what's movin' through the steam on the rise ♪ ♪ It was a dream ♪ It was real life ♪ There beneath ♪ A plum sky ♪ Turned my body around ♪ I make heat, I make sound ♪ Shadows on the wall ♪ Echos off the ground ♪ City blocks and pickup trucks ♪ ♪ I stacked the crib with lady luck ♪ ♪ Shutting down while the sun is still up ♪ ♪ Another dream that's feeling real enough ♪ ♪ It's too damn easy to get stuck ♪ ♪ Here beneath ♪ A plum sky ♪ Do you believe ♪ Real-life ♪ Real-life ♪ Real-Life (instrumental solo) ♪ Another dream that's feeling real enough ♪ ♪ It's too damn easy to get stuck ♪ ♪ Here beneath ♪ A plum sky ♪ Do you believe ♪ Real-life ♪ Real-life ♪ Real-life ♪ Real-Life (crowd cheering) - Thank you.

I just wanna say a big thank you to Chastity for inviting me to be here.

The first time we met was on New Year's Eve maybe 2016.

And I was living in the basement of some badass women.

And I rolled in and they were having like a New Year's like fire in the fireplace.

This could be my, I could be romanticizing this memory slightly.

In my memory there's a fire crackling in the fireplace, and everyone's gathered around, and there's this person who is Chastity playing music, and everyone's listening, and it was such a cool way to meet someone.

you look up to a lot.

Just it steeped in community on the brink of a new year, and yeah, it was a really, really cool thing to stumble into and special to be sharing the stage again tonight.

So thanks, Chastity, wherever we are for having me.

(playing "Summer Storm for Charlotte") ♪ Charlotte, you're getting the hang of it ♪ ♪ Look at you now ♪ You're doing it ♪ Charlotte, you're brave enough to admit ♪ ♪ What you want from the moment ♪ ♪ So keep going, kid ♪ The world may not have noticed yet ♪ ♪ But I did ♪ Charlotte, it's been a hard month ♪ ♪ The noise is in the night, we all slept rough ♪ ♪ Charlotte, it's beautiful, isn't it ♪ ♪ The moon on the rooftops, the silver light drips ♪ ♪ Sweet dreams, kid ♪ I hope you find some peace while you are sleeping ♪ (instrumental solo) ♪ Charlotte, you're busy growing quick ♪ ♪ Flowers in the garden ♪ The summer air sticks ♪ Charlotte, you're bleedin' at the knees ♪ ♪ Climbing up the windshield trying to reach ♪ ♪ The storm front, it's coming this way ♪ ♪ Don't worry about the thunder ♪ ♪ It's how the heat breaks ♪ We're all wishing on the rain ♪ ♪ Maybe in the downpour ♪ Things will change (instrumental solo) (crowd cheering) (upbeat music) - Well, part of us doing this is 'cause I've been wanting to go to one of your shows.

We are never in town at the same time.

- We never are.

- And then I was like, let's just get on screen and get to know each other.

- [Humbird] Yeah!

- Because I love your voice.

I love your voice.

- Aw, thanks, Chastity.

The feeling is very mutual.

- Yeah, this was selfish for me so I can hear you.

- Well, it's a treat for me.

- That that was it.

That was all I wanted.

(mellow music) - I've been singing along with you in the kitchen all week.

- Cool.

Best place.

- Yeah.

This is like just as much Whoopi Goldberg as Rainer Maria Rilke because of Sister Act when she gives Lauren Hill that book.

It was a real book.

- Yeah.

- And I found that out.

- Yeah.

- And I read that book.

- It's an amazing book.

- That's loving the questions.

Oh, 'cause that's what Rilke says in the, one of them is like love the questions in hopes that one day you'll be able to live yourself into the answer.

- Whoa.

- And that's always made me so mad and so like.

(Humbird laughing) Okay, I'll start at the top again.

- Okay.

(piano playing "Loving the Questions") ♪ Loving the questions ♪ Hating the fall ♪ Live in the answers ♪ Never they come ♪ When you want ♪ The body's just fragments, all full of stars ♪ ♪ Lighting the way ♪ To where ever you are right now ♪ ♪ What could we do here, what words could we speak ♪ ♪ Language is silent for the spaces between ♪ ♪ So hold ♪ So hold ♪ Hold on to me ♪ You can hold ♪ Hold on to me ♪ There in the park, said you're waiting for me♪ ♪ Under the branches ♪ Your feet crush a leaves to the ground ♪ ♪ But I kept my distance, observe from afar ♪ ♪ Walked away with my patience ♪ Like dragging a wall ♪ Through the crowd ♪ What could we do here, what words could we speak ♪ ♪ Language is silence ♪ For the spaces between ♪ Yeah ♪ So hold ♪ So hold ♪ Hold on to me ♪ You can hold ♪ You can hold ♪ Hold on to me ♪ Oh, hold ♪ Hold on to me (instrumental solo) ♪ Ooh ♪ Mm ♪ Mm, oh ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ You can hold, hold ♪ You can hold, hold ♪ Hold on - Thank you, Siri (crowd cheering) - I was obsessed with basketball before I was obsessed with music, and specifically Pete Maravich.

- Okay.

- And there was a movie that I watched every day.

- Every day.

(Humbird laughs) This is like a big part of who you are if you watched it every day, okay.

- Called Pistol Pete.

But yeah, I slept with my basketball.

- Oh.

- And then I started playing the saxophone, and I slept with my saxophone.

- Wow, okay.

- And then at 15, I started playing the guitar, slept with my guitar and broke the neck, as you would.

- In, like in bed, you rolled on it?

- [Chastity] I rolled on it.

- Oh, what a sad situation.

(Humbird and Chastity laugh) - Have you ever slept with an instrument?

- Yes, I have.

- Okay.

- I was in a hostile in Frankfurt, Germany.

I was 20, and I was traveling alone, but I had a guitar.

I literally was like wrapped around my guitar.

- Yeah.

- Going to bed.

Was like I hope everything is intact when I wake up.

- Yes, I'm glad you had your guitar there.

- Yeah.

- 'Cause if not a song tool, certainly a weapon.

- Exactly.

(playing "Wonderment") ♪ I had a dream ♪ I was caught in the red ♪ Was floating between ♪ All around my head ♪ I could not grasp ♪ Take ahold of anything ♪ Seemed like letting go ♪ Was the only way, only way ♪ And all that I wonder ♪ But I do not know ♪ If it will ever show, ever show, ever show, ever show ♪ ♪ Down West River Parkway ♪ Behind the old boats ♪ There's a corner just over there ♪ ♪ It is hidden low, hidden low ♪ Oh how far is how far ♪ Would you let it, would you let it, let this go ♪ ♪ And stand in the dark ♪ Where the lights are low ♪ Yeah, all that I wonder ♪ But I do not know ♪ If it will ever show, ever show, ever show, ever show ♪ ♪ If it will ever show, ever show, ever show, ever show ♪ ♪ Oh, all that I wonder ♪ But I do not know ♪ If it will ever show, ever show, ever show ♪ ♪ Doo-Doo-Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo, doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-Doo-Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo-doo, doo-doo ♪ ♪ Doo-Doo-Doo, doo-doo-doo ♪ Oh, all that I wonder ♪ But I do not know ♪ If it will ever show, ever show, ever show, ever show ♪ ♪ Ever show ♪ Ooh (instrumental solo) ♪ Ever show ♪ Ever show (crowd cheering) - It seemed like I worked on this record for a long time.

It was like almost five years of writing, and writing, and writing.

And I think I just really drag my feet when I know it's time to change.

When I know a change is happening, I kinda just freak out and then stand still.

But one thing that continues to come up in my life is having curiosity, approaching myself with a sense of curiosity.

This next song is like, it continues to kind of talk to me about myself.

(playing "Curiosity") ♪ Who am I?

♪ Without those stones you threw ♪ ♪ Who am I?

♪ When I'm not watching you ♪ From the corner of my eye ♪ To see if everything's alright ♪ ♪ Giving you the final say ♪ Of what I'm doing with my life ♪ ♪ It's real life ♪ I'm never really over you ♪ It's just time ♪ I've been combing through ♪ Oh, the space to realize ♪ What was yours and what was mine ♪ ♪ What was shadow, what was light ♪ ♪ What was yours and what was mine ♪ ♪ This curiosity is setting into motion ♪ ♪ I was a stranger to myself when I knew ya ♪ ♪ So, I should say thank you ♪ For loving and leaving me ♪ Yeah, I should say thank you ♪ Now, who am I?

♪ I stay up 'til dawn ♪ And when I wake ♪ It's to no alarms ♪ Sometimes I laugh at my own jokes ♪ ♪ I know there's things that I don't know ♪ ♪ And when I think about you now ♪ ♪ I'm learning to let go ♪ This curiosity is setting into motion ♪ ♪ I was a stranger to myself when I knew ya ♪ ♪ So I should say thank you ♪ For loving and leaving me ♪ Yeah, I should say thank you ♪ For giving me room to breathe ♪ ♪ This curiosity is setting into motion ♪ ♪ I was a stranger to myself when I knew ya ♪ ♪ So I should say thank you ♪ For loving and leaving me ♪ Yeah, I should say thank you ♪ For loving and leaving ♪ Loving and leaving ♪ Loving and leaving ♪ Loving and leaving (instrumental solo) (crowd cheering) ♪ I will sing to the walls ♪ I will sing to the stars ♪ If it lights you up ♪ I will sing to your heart ♪ I will sing to your heart ♪ I will sing to the moon ♪ I will sing to the rain as it's falling at night ♪ ♪ I will sing to the rain as it's falling at night ♪ ♪ I will sing it for you ♪ I'll be singing ♪ I'll be singing ♪ I will sing to these walls ♪ Hope it gets through ♪ I will sing to your scars ♪ They need healing too ♪ I will sing to your walls, hope it gets through ♪ ♪ I hope it gets through ♪ I like to scoop you up ♪ And we could go for a drive ♪ You know how I like my car ♪ You know how I love your eyes ♪ ♪ I could sing to those eyes ♪ I could sing to those eyes ♪ I will sing to these walls, hope it gets through ♪ ♪ And I will sing to your scars ♪ ♪ They need healing too ♪ I will sing to your walls, hope it gets through ♪ ♪ Oh, I hope it get (instrumental solo) ♪ On the day that you called my name ♪ ♪ I got up ♪ I got up ♪ On the day that you called my name ♪ ♪ Honey, I got up ♪ Ooh ♪ On the day that you called my name ♪ ♪ I got up ♪ Oh ♪ I will sing to these walls, hope it gets through ♪ ♪ I will sing to your scars ♪ They need healing too ♪ I will sing to your walls ♪ I hope it gets through ♪ Ooh ♪ Ooh (instrumental solo) - That's Greg Schutte on the drum.

(instrumental solo) (crowd cheering) - From the very beginning, what I was advised by from different peers and elders was to write something that feels honest to me.

After all that we've been through, like I'm really interested in dancing.

I'm really interested in feeling sexy.

And I've learned that my emotions don't have to be in war with each other, so I can be angry and sexy at the same time.

For me, where anger and sexy kinda meet is in a song I wrote called Golden.

What was a challenge, but also what felt so natural was that there's complexity in our existence.

Certainly as someone who lives in Minneapolis, during the uprising, during the pandemic, the premise of the song is in some ways a little bit of a drag and then for the most part it's just like, I can be angry, but I don't have to live in it.

(playing "Golden") ♪ Oh, excuse me while I tell my truth ♪ ♪ And it rattles up and rings in you ♪ ♪ But you don't know what to say or do ♪ ♪ So you stare ♪ Got golden drops upon my lips ♪ ♪ And golden eyes and golden hips ♪ ♪ And there's glory in the power of my name ♪ ♪ So why I got to be angry?

♪ Why I got to be angry?

♪ Why I got to be angry up in here ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ Oo-Oo-Ohh ♪ Ooh ♪ Ooh ♪ I've got joy even when I'm a target ♪ ♪ If ya think that's political, don't get me started ♪ ♪ Oh, you know I'm golden and I flaunt it ♪ ♪ You know its true ♪ Everything I touch is golden ♪ Every time I sing you want to be on it ♪ ♪ And all the swag I bring, I bring its flawless ♪ ♪ You know it's true ♪ So why I got to be angry?

♪ Why I got to be angry?

♪ Why I got to be angry up in here ♪ ♪ Why I got to be angry ♪ Why I got to be angry ♪ Oh, why I got to be angry up in here?

♪ ♪ Does this black woman voice ♪ Have too much power?

♪ Would it go down sweetly ♪ If I sang softer?

♪ Oh, does this black woman voice ♪ ♪ Have too much power?

♪ Would it go down sweetly ♪ If I sang softer?

- We were talking about harmonies, and I feel like just- - Yeah.

In the recordings it's like right in on the top, but if you want me to- - [Chastity] I like that.

- You do?

- [Chastity] Yeah.

- Yeah, let's go for it.

- Mistakes don't exist.

I feel like it's just like whatever.

- I'll still try not to suck though.

(Chastity and Humbird laughing) ♪ It was late one eve in mid-September ♪ ♪ I remember, I remember ♪ I was flying 'cross the ocean ♪ ♪ You were heading out to Boston ♪ ♪ Though we hadn't been going for that long yet ♪ ♪ Still writing little love letters on the phone ♪ ♪ Like two lovers in the yard ♪ Is this magic?

♪ Is this the right fit?

♪ Oh, I believe it ♪ Oh, I believe it is ♪ Now I show you love with the flowers ♪ ♪ You say morn is your favorite hour ♪ ♪ Way all this has got me feeling ♪ ♪ I could swear, there's a higher power ♪ ♪ Though we hadn't been going for that long yet ♪ ♪ Still writing little love letters on the phone ♪ ♪ Like two lovers in the yard ♪ Is this magic?

♪ Is it the right fit?

♪ Oh, I believe it ♪ Oh, I believe it is ♪ This is magic ♪ This is the right fit ♪ Oh, I believe it ♪ Oh, I believe it is ♪ Oh-oh-oh-Oh (instrumental solo) ♪ Oh, this is magic ♪ This is the right fit ♪ Oh, I believe it ♪ Oh, I believe it is ♪ This is magic ♪ This is the right fit ♪ Oh, I believe it ♪ Oh, I believe it is (instrumental solo) ♪ Magic (instrumental solo) (crowd cheering) ♪ This is magic ♪ This is the right fit ♪ I believe ♪ This is magic - Thank y'all, have a good night.

(crowd cheering) - [Narrator] Funding for this program is supported in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, Jennine and John Speier, and these Stage supporters.

(crowd cheering) (upbeat music)