BRIAN LAIDLAW & THE FAMILY TRADE

Brian Laidlaw is a poet and songwriter from San Francisco, as well as a founding member of a Twin Cities arts cohort called the Yes!Lets Collective, which includes the bands Very Small Animal, The Dusty Porch Sisters, Oak Ribbons, Alpenglow, Bipolar Bear, and The Family Trade - probably the only folk band you've seen that pogos. The Family Trade is Brian's primary ensemble in the Twin Cities, a messy folk orchestra featuring Greg Byers (cello), Becky Gaunt (fiddle), Ashley Hanson (ukulele), Sean Geraty (drums), and Tim Harlan-Marks (bass) that tries to combine the best elements of a stadium rock show with the best elements of a campfire singalong.