Lake Street Dive

Lake Street Dive formed in 2004 at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, consisting of Rachael Price, Mike “McDuck” Olson, Bridget Kearney, and Mike Calabrese. Initially experimenting with improvised country music, they quickly shifted towards a more cohesive multi-genre sound that blended jazz, folk, and pop. A significant early milestone occurred in 2005 when Bridget Kearney won the Jazz Category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, with the band performing her winning song. This provided them with $1,000 and 1,000 CDs, which they used to release their debut album, “In This Episode…” in 2006, followed by “Promises, Promises” in 2008. Their breakthrough came in 2012 with a viral video cover of The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,” which garnered over 6 million views on YouTube and significantly boosted their visibility and popularity. This period also saw them perform over 100 times across 24 states between 2007 and 2011, culminating in a rigorous 22-venue tour across 13 states in September and October 2011.

Following their growing online presence, Lake Street Dive made a firm commitment to touring and formalizing their group in 2012. Bridget Kearney and Mike Calabrese both left their other bands to focus entirely on Lake Street Dive. They recorded the album “Fun Machine” and several singles that year. In 2013, an agreement was reached regarding Rachael Price’s prior contract, enabling the release of “Bad Self Portraits” in February 2014, which reached number 18 on the Billboard 200 chart. The band’s extensive touring continued, with over 300 gigs in more than 175 cities across 43 states and eight countries in 2013 and 2014, including 40 sold-out venues for their “Bad Self Portraits” tour. Their appearances on major television shows like “The Colbert Report,” “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “Conan,” and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” further broadened their audience.

In 2015, Lake Street Dive signed with Nonesuch Records and released “Side Pony” in February 2016, which charted at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and topped three Billboard charts: Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, and Folk Albums. Keyboardist Akie Bermiss joined them on tour in 2017 and was officially credited on their 2018 album, “Free Yourself Up.” The band continued to tour extensively, including dates in North America, Europe, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia. They released “Freak Yourself Out,” a five-song EP, in 2018. In 2021, Mike “McDuck” Olson departed, and James Cornelison joined as guitarist. Their 2024 album “Good Together” was nominated for a Grammy Award in the “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album” category, showcasing their enduring appeal and artistic evolution.