Talk about the grateful dead. There will be rock ’n’ roll music blaring at a Minnesota cemetery, and it’s a good bet the residents won’t be complaining about the noise.
A new monthly series, Music in the Chapel, will debut at Minneapolis' historic Lakewood Cemetery Memorial Chapel on April 8, the Star Tribune reported.
Tickets will cost $10, and the first act booked is the all-women vocal group Anonymous Choir, which plays rock, soul and folk music.
“We simply think it’s a good way for people to come in and enjoy this beautiful setting,” Lakewood Cemetery president Rob Gjerde told the Star Tribune.
The cemetery was founded in 1871 and has an eclectic mix of famous people interred on its grounds, including former Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, basketball Hall of Famer George Mikan, Pillsbury founder Charles Pillsbury, former Minnesota Twins owner Carl Pohlad and Herbert Khaury -- who was known as 1960s falsetto singer Tiny Tim.
Future concerts scheduled include David Huckfelt on May 6 and Dusty Heart on June 10. The chapel, built in 1910, holds 160, the Star Tribune reported.
Concerts at a cemetery are not new, but it is the first time Lakewood is attempting a musical event.
“Lakewood is reimagining the role of cemeteries in everyday life, and we think this is a great way of doing that,” Gjerde said. “The venue itself is a perfect fit for shows like this.”
The concerts will held on Sunday afternoons, and alcohol will not be permitted.
Anonymous Choir leader Nona Marie Invie has a personal stake in playing the debut concert, as her great-grandmother is buried at Lakewood, the Star Tribune reported.
“I enjoy performing in non-traditional spaces, and the I think the natural reverb of the chapel will make Anonymous Choir sound really beautiful,” Invie told the Star Tribune. “I don’t have any hesitation at all about performing in a cemetery setting, It will hopefully be a beautiful spring day with the sun shining, lessening the chance of a ghoul sighting for sure.”
Sunshine on a spring day beats a touch of gray, as most Deadheads would attest.
