Freedy Johnston with special guest Molly Maher
Sunday, March 2, 2025
6 pm Doors // 7 pm Music
All Ages
$20 (+taxes/fees) Advance General Admission // $25 (+taxes/fees) At The Door
Ticket purchases are final and non-refundable
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Considered one of the best songwriters of his generation, The Parkway is thrilled to present legendary troubadour Freedy Johnston, making a rare return to Minneapolis.
The night kicks off with an opening set by Molly Maher, an incomparable singer, songwriter, and guitarist who graces the stage with compelling depth and soul.
“I’ve always loved both Freedy’s voice and songwriting. There’s something so matter-of-fact yet plaintive about his records, and that combination is incredibly compelling. I’m absolutely delighted he has a new record coming out and even more delighted to be singing on it.” — Aimee Mann
“A master of subtle songcraft, almost to a fault.” — Pitchfork
"Johnston's gift is that he can distill hurt, desire, and all the complicated shadows in between into an electric guitar tone and a couple of vivid phrases." — New York Magazine
"Johnston has the ability to construct entire ecosystems and narratives out of this kind of working class ephemera, and that’s what makes him a singular songwriter." — Stereogum
"His albums were filled with elegant, catchy melodies and rich, short-story-like vignettes, long on character development and narrative detail." — VH1
“A master storyteller.” — Rolling Stone
Freedy Johnston is one of those rare singer-songwriters who counts critics among his biggest fans — and whose heroes consider him a peer. Not bad for a self-proclaimed “geek in glasses who never left his room.”
In 1994 Rolling Stone named Johnston the ‘Songwriter of the Year’, describing him as “A master storyteller, (who) sketches out full-blown tragedies in a few taut poetic lines.” Adding, “He joins that elite cadre of songwriters—Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Elvis Costello—whose brilliant pop compositions turn magical with the addition of a defiantly idiosyncratic singing voice.”
In September 2022, Forty Below Records released Johnston’s 9th album, Back on the Road to You. It’s a record steeped in wit, humor, pathos, love, and friendship drenched with memorable, infectious melodies. Johnston recorded the album in Los Angeles with producer Eric Corne after setting up house in nearby Joshua Tree. The new surroundings seem to have imbued the album’s mood and instrumentation with echoes of The Byrds, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, and Neil Young. Joining Johnston in the studio were Aimee Mann, Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles, and long-time collaborator, Susan Cowsill, along with an all-star roots music band, including Doug Pettibone (Lucinda Williams), Dusty Wakeman (Jim Lauderdale), Dave Raven (Shelby Lynn) and Sasha Smith (Priscilla Ahn).
Back on the Road to You is a return to grace for this gifted songwriter. It embodies the sound of an American original reminding us that he is still considered one of the best songwriters of his generation.
Molly Maher resides on the border between the lands of Americana and the Blues and moves beautifully between them, blending simmering guitars and cutting lyrics. She has traveled the roads of the American music tradition and returned to sing about it with an authentic and sage voice. An incomparable singer and songwriter with compelling depth and soul and draws from the deep roots of music. With songs that ring true, her singing is a fine balance of deep and soulful, somewhere between Lucinda Williams and Bonnie Raitt. Twangy and lament-filled spirit, guitar driven country-folk-jam with a blues swagger.