Madison: Aaron Kerr's Dissonant Creatues Scorpio Rising Tour

Upper Midwest Tour Presents AKDC’s Live Studio Album Scorpio Rising

Aaron Kerr’s Dissonant Creatures, a seven-piece heavy metal/jazz fusion ensemble from St. Paul, Minnesota, will release their full-length vinyl record in early May, then go on a six-date tour of the upper Midwest. Says band leader Aaron Kerr: “This is the last of my great works – I am ready to unleash this magnum opus on the world, and the band playing it is phenomenal.”

The ensemble, also known as “AKDC,” has been together for over fifteen years. They began performing with material from the first of Aaron’s concept albums, Dissonant Creatures, a third-stream album of minimalist instrumental works. Aaron expanded into jazz and gothic folk with his next two albums, Odin, and Union County Forever. Now the cycle is complete with the heavier influence of rock and metal in Scorpio Rising.

AKDC recorded their new album over two days in March 2024 at Wild Sound Studio in Minneapolis, with mixing decisions shared by the entire band. The album was engineered by Steve Kaul and Joshua Parlanti, and mastered by Tom Garneau at Audioactive Mastering. Album photos featuring the band in the studio were taken by Darin Kamnetz from Minneapolis, and album artwork was created by Steve Vorass from Milwaukee.

The album will be released on Milwaukee record label Emperor Penguin Records. Label owner Tyson Allison enthuses: “Aaron has assembled an incredible crew of players; the music is eclectic, the sounds are exotic and the time signatures are rogue. We at Emperor Penguin Records are excited to release this truly unique record!” The album is being released on gatefold colored vinyl and will be available for sale at shows, online, and at record stores.

The Scorpio Rising album tour starts May 4th at Eagles #34 in Minneapolis, followed by The Little Theatre in New London, Minnesota, The Carnegie Art Center in Mankato, Minnesota, the Madison Mercantile in Madison, Minnesota, the Red Rooster Coffee Shop in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and The Akron Opera House in Akron, Iowa (full details listed below). “I want this tour to be a launching pad for jazz from the upper Midwest” says Aaron. “We have amazing things going on musically in this part of the world. The musicians here have honed their craft and are doing things no one else is doing. We can create a new musical movement inspired by the beauty, vitality, and resilience of the great plains.”

The tour will feature all the material from their new album, plus additional material from AKDC’s canon of works. The members of AKDC are: Aaron Kerr – electric cello; Brett Hansen – guitar; Jonathan Townsend – drums; Chris Andresen – bass; Mike Nordby – mandolin and percussion; Jeff Crandall – guitar and keyboard; Sean Egan – clarinet.

Aaron Kerr received a McKnight Composer Fellowship in 2006. He has performed on over fifty albums nationally and internationally. Music from Aaron’s album, Dissonant Creatures, which was produced and arranged by members of the band Swallows, was used in Nation Public Radio’s Science Friday program. In 2020 Aaron, along with composer/arranger Tyson Allison, received a nomination for best concept album from the Independent Music Awards for their collaborative work, To Combat Loneliness: Compositions Based on the Works of David Foster Wallace. AKDC has played all over the Twin Cities and upper Midwest. They had a two-year residency at The Black Dog Cafe in St. Paul’s historic Lowertown neighborhood here they played music from all of their albums. Their tours have taken them to jazz festivals and every kind of venue in the region.

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Contact:

Aaron Kerr
(651) 489-5461
info@dissonantcreatures.com

For more information:

Band website:
www.dissonantcreatures.com

Band media kit:
dissonantcreatures.com/media-kit

Emperor Penguin Records:
www.emperorpenguinrecords.com

2025 Scorpio Rising Tour Dates:

• Sunday, May 4th – 7pm
  Eagles #34: 2507 E. 25th St. Minneapolis, MN
  $15 cover – cash only
• Tuesday, May 6th – doors 6pm, show 7pm
  Little Theatre Auditorium: 24 Central Ave. East, New London, MN
  Pay what you wish: $10-$30
• Wednesday, May 7th – doors 6:30pm, show 7pm
  Carnegie Art Center: 120 S Broad St, Mankato, MN
  Suggested donation
• Thursday, May 8th – 6pm doors, 6:30pm show
  Madison Mercantile: 601 First St, Madison, MN
  Tickets on sliding scale at door
• Friday, May 9th – 7pm
  Red Rooster Coffee House: 218 South Main St., Aberdeen, SD
  Tickets at door
• Saturday, May 10th – 7pm
  Akron Opera House: 151 Reed Street, Akron, IA
  Tickets: $10 for adults / $5 for students