Trampled By Turtles frontman Dave Simonett returns to the Mineral Point Opera House for a solo show on Friday, December 5, at 7:30 pm, with opening act Erik Kjelland of The Mascot Theory. Advance tickets will be $38 for the lower and upper levels and $48 for the first two rows and boxes (plus taxes and fees). Tickets will increase by $5 on the day of the show. Doors will open at 6:30 pm.

Dave Simonett has spent almost two decades as the lead singer, guitar player, and songwriter for the widely popular and beloved roots band, Trampled By Turtles. He also fronts Dead Man Winter, a bull-bodied, emotionally resonant brand of Americana-infused indie rock band. He now boldly steps forward with a shining collection of new solo material for the first time under his own name, called Red Tail. While Dead Man Winter’s Furnace was a much-needed cathartic experience for Simonett during a dark time, he is not connecting the songs on Red Tail to his own life, as he prefers to allow listeners to develop their own interpretations. The conversational and poetic style in which Simonett writes lends itself to this perfectly, inspired by the spacious and stark Northern woods of Minnesota, where he’s from. Drawing from the outdoors, Simonett uses light, weather and imagery to paint introspective, cinematic scenes that are easy to lose yourself in.

Erik Kjelland is a prolific Wisconsin-based singer/songwriter whose 25-year career has been defined by an unwavering passion for creating honest, emotionally resonant music. For the past 14 years, he has fronted the acclaimed folk-rock band The Mascot Theory, releasing seven studio albums and multiple live recordings that showcase his sharp storytelling and heartfelt lyricism. Kjelland’s most recent work for the band, Cosmic Hit And Run (October 2025), marks one of his most personal creative chapters—an album of reflection, grief, and healing written in the wake of his father David Kjelland’s passing in 2020. Kjelland brings a raw sincerity to the stage, blending Midwestern grit with a timeless Americana soul.