j. bell & the Lazy Susan Band

What’s that smell in the air? It might just be the faint scent of brand new music from j.bell and the Lazy Susan Band! That’s right, we’re coming out of our usual winter gigging break not just with renewed energy, but also with tracks laid for a brand new album. We’re super excited about this record, and we know folks want to know when it’ll be released. Our current answer is “that’s none of $2 Bill’s business”. In other words – we don’t know yet! BUT we DO know when you can hear some of the songs in person!

March sees us playing three shows, including our first full band appearance of 2026. First up, the LSB Trio are bringing their harmony vocals to Two Sisters Kitchen down in Oronoco (that’s near Rochester, for my fellow map nerds) on the 7th.

Then, the full band returns to Carbone’s in Minneapolis on the 14th. That means the time to get your reservations is now! Mike insisted on finding a new picture of us at Carbone’s for our website, and that’s featured above (drawn from the depths of Facebook)…but please know that we are not going to be playing on the patio in the middle of March! What we are planning is debuting some songs you’ve never heard before!

Lastly, the trio returns to River Siren Brewing on the 28th, and as of now, that’ll be our last show until June. So today is the day to make your plans to catch a show. We’ll see you there!

On this Day of Truth and Freedom, we in the Lazy Susan Band want our friends, family, and fans to know that we stand with our neighbors and believe that everyone has rights to due process, free speech, and peaceful protest. Our state is going through difficult times right now, and we hope we will come out on the other side stronger than before. Take care of yourselves.

Greetings from someplace near Apocalyptic Falls, JBLSB fans! It’s your friendly neighborhood hat wearing bassist Mike D here, checking in for one more blog post before we close the books on 2025.

As we head into the holidays, it’s time to give thanks for all the fans, friends, and family who came out to cheer us on at gigs from Rockford to Rochester this year. We had a great 2025 as a band, and as I write this post, we’re all super excited about some new material we’ve been working up in practice over the last few weeks. At the same time, we’re already missing the stage.

In 2025, we played new rooms in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, all while returning to favorite haunts in Marshfield, Aitkin, and Minneapolis. We once again had the privilege of opening up for Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers in back-to-back shows in July, and continued our tradition of closing out our year at Carbone’s. The picture above only gives a taste of the joy we had rocking Carbone’s for friends and family, whether they traveled from Fargo, Aitkin, or just down the block.

As J.Bell has alluded to in a few Facebook posts, we plan to slow down a little bit in terms of live gigging in 2026. But that doesn’t mean we’re hanging it up – by no means! If these new songs are any indication, we’re just hitting our stride as a band. So we hope we’ll see you in the crowds soon after we flip the calendar over to 2026. Rock on!

Let’s all let out a big Minnesotan “Uff da”, Lazy Susan fans, as we turn the calendar to September and remember all the things that go along with that: kids back in school, leaves turning colors, those abominable pumpkin spice drinks…and oh wait – the last few outdoor JBLSB shows!

What, you haven’t heard? Tickets are going fast for next Friday’s show at the Terrace in Aitkin, where we had the privilege of opening up for Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers in July. This is a fantastic venue in the coolest little Minnesota town “up north” and we’re honored to take the stage there again. And why not join Aitkin County Friends of the Arts to get a $5 discount on tickets and support the future of performing arts in Aitkin County? It’s win-win!

If you haven’t managed to catch us on stage this year, we’re going to just assume you’ve been “Waitin’ on Better Weather”…and these upcoming outdoor shows are just the ticket for you. Because if you peek at our Events page, you’ll realize that you only have a few more chances before we close the books on 2025. We’ve got the tunes ready, we’ve placed our orders for perfect fall nights, we’ve secured the stages…all we need now is YOU!

It all starts one week from tonight – see you in Aitkin!

“Hello WISCONSIN!” Mike D. here, bringing you the phrase that I imagine the LSB Trio will be uttering at two of their FIVE gigs planned over the next two weeks. It all starts tonight in River Falls at Rush River brewing, and ends in Rochester at the Thesis Beer Project.

In between, there will be stops at our favorite Carbone’s in Minneapolis, at the amazing new Music Box in Rockford, IL, and at Tumbled Rock Brewery in Baraboo, WI. I know the guys really dig these little mini tours around the Great Lakes states, and I hope you get to catch one or more of those shows!

Kent and I are resting up for two big outdoor shows in September, so we won’t be traveling with the trio. BUT, word has it that Kent will be sitting in on the cajón at one of the shows – but I’m not going to say which!

Summer’s not over yet, so get the details on our Events page, mark your calendars, pick out which beer you’re going to order, and get out there for some quality LSB Trio time!

Great balls of fire, JBLSB fans! We are once again giving thanks to SO many people: Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers, their road crew, staff at the Fine Line and The Terrace, First Avenue and Aitkin County Friends of the Arts, all our friends and family who showed up, and the entire Peacemakers community for making us feel welcome and appreciated over the past two days.

The pictures below show only a fraction of the amazing weekend we had. Those two 45-minute sets were probably among the best we’ve ever played, and a big reason for that was YOU being out there to cheer us on. Our hearts are full today, and we’ll be riding this high for weeks to come.

Halfway through 2025, and we’ve already had an incredible year. But we’re not done! Check out our events page for details on an August LSB Trio tour, two full band shows in September, and our annual closeout show at Carbone’s. Here’s to life!

(Extra big thanks to Stephen R. Sylvanie, Jr., Shannon Johnson, Sarah VanValkenburg, and Robin Rust for the photos!)

Happy 5th of July, Lazy Susan fans! We hope you are waking up this morning with a belly full of brats and all ten of your fingers. We know we are going to need all 50 of our fingers very soon!

What for? Glad you asked! Next weekend, starting July 12 at the Fine Line, we have the pleasure of opening up for Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers (RCPM) once again. Those of you who have seen these shows in the past know that we make an extra effort to deliver the goods for RCPM fans. Those of you who haven’t… well, now’s your chance! First Avenue staff always make a Fine Line show a fantastic experience, and we can’t wait to hit the stage. (Be sure to show up in time for the first song… the JBLSB crew has a tiny musical treat planned.)

And then we get to wake up the next day, pinch ourselves, drive up to lovely downtown Aitkin, and do it again on July 13 at the Terrace! Matinee show at a cool new outdoor venue? Yes please!

It all starts one week from tonight! What are you waiting for? Smash those links and get your tickets now before they’re gone!

Well, summer gigs are certainly off to a great start! As you can see from our typical band selfie above, BPZ’s hometown of Marshfield, Wisconsin had us in a great mood with excellent hospitality and weather on June 6. If you live in or plan to visit Central Wisconsin, you really need to check out their Hub City Music Series at the Wenzel Family Plaza!

But we’re not done with Wisconsin, and Wisconsin isn’t done with us! This Saturday (6/28), we’re excited to headline the famous Ellsworth Cheese Curd Festival. This will be our first time playing in Ellsworth, and hopefully there will be many more (and not just because Mike loves cheese curds).

And as usual, you can’t forget to check out our Events page – there’s more fun brewing, between a weekend with RCPM and another mini-trio-tour.

Just a quick note to remind you that we’re officially declaring the start of summer this Saturday (5/17) with an LSB Trio show at Carbone’s in Minneapolis. We don’t care what the meteorologists say, it’s summer in our heads. You too can get a leg up on your summer celebration by joining us, no matter what the thermometer says!

And have you jumped over to our events page lately? We’ve got a pantsload of road trips planned for trio and full band gigs that are sure to elevate your mood.

And keep your eyes on this space (and the BookFace) for more news coming, because plans are afoot!

That’s right folks, exactly one month from tonight, your humble rockers j.bell and the Lazy Susan Band make our debut at the famous Green Room in Minneapolis! You can check out the event details here, but all you really need to know is that for a measly $15 ticket you get to catch us opening up for The Modern Era, Nick Anderson & the Skinny Lovers, and Clayton Ryan. That’s less than four bucks a band – and we’re honored to share the stage with these groups. Doors open at 6:30, and we’ll be on stage at 7:30.

Since I (Mike D.) will be busy coordinating an ice castle astrology conference in Cedar Rapids, longtime LSB collaborator Tom Adams will be filling in on bass. But I’m still super excited about this show, even though I can’t be there! So you know what that means: get your tickets now and get pumped for an epic night of rocking.