After a downturn in the number of concerts last year, it looks like Surly Brewing Festival Field will be fully rocking again in 2024.

Surly's concert production partner First Avenue announced two more big shows on Monday as part of this year's summer run: A co-headlining gig by Midwest folk favorite Andrew Bird and reunited California bluegrass trio Nickel Creek on July 13, plus a Sept. 28 appearance by Lake Street Dive. Tickets for the former will be $60 and go on sale Friday via axs.com, while the latter's will be $55 also Friday via axs.com.

Last week, First Ave also announced a cool trifecta-style Surly Field show with the Pixies, Modest Mouse and Cat Power on June 20. Tickets for that one already went on sale Friday for $65.

And there were already two other Surly shows on the books for 2024 prior to these: soulful Texas groovers Black Pumas are scheduled to play there the day after the Pixies gig, June 21; and "Silver Lining" strummers Mt. Joy are confirmed for Aug. 6. Neither of those concerts are sold-out yet.

First Ave reps say they may have more Surly Field shows to come this year, too. Last year's decrease in the number of Surly shows was just incidental based on tour routing and artists wanting to play indoors vs outdoors, they added. The venue hosted only five shows last summer, counting a two-night stand by Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, plus one apiece by Train, Ween and Young the Giant.

With its Chicago-based partner Jam Productions, First Ave also continues to book Surly-sized indoor shows at the Armory, where they scheduled LCD Soundsystem's first Minnesota show in seven years — and first not at the decrepit Roy Wilkins Auditorium in 15 years! — for May 22. Those tickets go on sale Friday via Ticketmaster at $79, with presale options starting Tuesday.

Surly Festival Field is essentially just a large, flat stretch of grass and parking areas behind the Surly brewery uphill from the University of Minnesota campus. Typically, it is laid out to host around 6,000 ticketholders for concerts.

Here's the full schedule so far for the Surly Field concerts in 2024:

  • June 20: Pixies, Modest Mouse and Cat Power
  • June 21: Black Pumas
  • July 13: Andrew Bird and Nickel Creek
  • Aug. 6: Mt. Joy
  • Sept. 28: Lake Street Dive