'Social work is about empowerment and helping people realize their potential'

Alysha Carlisle grew up in Oakland, California, 1,600 miles from the rolling hills of southeast Minnesota. She says it was easy to feel hopeless in that environment, with poverty and violence around her, but through her childhood, several social workers stepped up and empowered the young Carlisle. Now, a decade after moving to the Med City, Carlisle wants to follow in their footsteps. As part of the Bachelor’s of Social Work program at Winona State University-Rochester, she’s on the path to doing just that.

General B and the Wiz to bring indie-blues to Rochester's drive-in concert series

There’s a lot to unpack when describing the week five headliner for Riverside Concerts’ Car Park Concerts series, set to perform Wednesday, August 12. Their name is long, the six-person lineup is large, and their on-stage antics are endearing and humorous at the same time — information overload in the form of music. It’s all a little weird, but somehow satisfying — just how General B and the Wiz likes it.

Bedlam on the balcony: folk trio playing week three of Car Park Concerts series

Over the past few months of quarantine, we’ve seen so many musicians strip away their electric instrumentation in favor of quiet, intimate acoustic sets tailor-made for live streaming on social media. For the next installment of Riverside Concerts’ Car Park Concert series, expect an acoustic set — but don’t expect it to be quiet. In fact, get ready for the exact opposite: a loud, rollicking party in the parking lot.