American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Erik Koskinen and his band are on tour, bringing his singular brand of roots-driven songwriting to the Mineral Point Opera House on Friday, May 8 at 7:30 pm, with opening act Whitney Mann! Doors will open at 6:30 pm. Tickets range from $25 to $30 (plus taxes and fees) and will increase by $5 on the day of the show.

Deeply influenced by American roots music yet firmly his own, Koskinen’s work resists easy categorization. He rides the optimism of the upbeat—the and-one-and-two-and—balancing it with a finely calibrated emotional range, a sly sense of humor, and the swagger of a prizefighter. A lights-out guitarist backed by a powerhouse band, his live shows combine musical firepower with close, human storytelling.

At the heart of it all is the writing: blade-sharp wit, love songs that feel lived-in and true, and a rare connection to place. Koskinen’s relationship to the rural North is integral to his songs, giving them a grounded, authentic quality that resonates deeply with Americana audiences.

“I know of few writers whose relationship to their own landscape is so elemental, and so integral.”
— Jeffrey Foucault

As a girl, Whitney Mann dreamed of a life in Country music. “I daydreamed all day, every day, of singing songs that I wrote in front of thousands of people,” she says. At the age of four, she began writing her own songs, and two decades later she realized her version of success by opening shows for legends like Willie Nelson, George Jones, and Loretta Lynn on big country stages and in theaters throughout the Midwest.

Whitney put down her guitar to raise a family. But songwriting is in her bones. It’s an itch that will perpetually need to be scratched. Her old songs are about love and truth and heartbreak. And to listen to her new material, you’ll realize that she’s stayed true to form – except now she’s looking for a fight. She has appeared on NPR, PBS Wisconsin, Wisconsin Public Radio, and Iowa Public Radio. She’s shared stages with Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Ray LaMontagne, Guy Clark, Jeff Daniels, Secret Sisters, Joe Pug, Corb Lund, and more. She has played at SXSW, Summerfest, WMSE Radio Summer Camp, Country Throwdown, Mile of Music, Madison Roots, and more.