2023 Christmas Tour Wrap!

That’s a wrap! Our 20th Anniversary Christmas Tour was magical…and it’s all thanks to you!!! From singing with beautiful choirs, to reuniting with original SimpleGifts members, this season has been one to remember. Thank you for all your support and love through this season and these past 20 years. We wouldn’t still be making music and celebrating the holidays together if it wasn’t for you! We look forward to 2024 and seeing you during the year at a Young & The Rest Show (stay tuned for new dates coming)!

With love and appreciation,
SimpleGifts Music

 

 

Simplegifts

20th Anniversary Christmas Tour Dates Announced!

It all started as a quartet in 2003. Carin Vagle, Jeni-Lyn Starr, Billy O and Billy McLaughin played concerts in Milwaukee, Duluth and a handful of shows around the Twin Cities that year. 20 years and 300 shows later, SimpleGifts with Billy McLaughlin is still ringing in the holidays with Carin Vagle, Karen Paurus, Amy Courts on vocals, Laura MacKenzie on assorted Celtic wind-powered instruments, Billy O on ornamental percussion, Enrique Toussaint on bass, Nathan Wilson on violin and mandolin, and Lisa Z on piano.

As one of the larger MN holiday ensembles still standing, SimpleGifts continues to grow a multi-generational fanbase through touring and streaming via online platforms that did not even exist in 2003. You can stream SimpleGifts on all streaming platforms, buy CDs at all 20th Anniversary shows along with new merch, and rumor has it there may be vinyl in the future for the 21st SimpleGifts Christmas Tour.

Special shows include the return of Jeni-Lyn Starr and Heather Garborg Moen at the Parkway only on Dec 17 and an extended-play show driven by fan requests dubbed “SimplePaLooza”only on Dec 22.

2023 TOUR DATES:

01 DEC, FRIDAY – LAKEVILLE, MN

08 DEC, FRIDAY – PLYMOUTH, MN

09 DEC, SATURDAY – WORTHINGTON, MN

15 DEC, FRIDAY – ST PAUL, MN

17 DEC, SUNDAY – REUNION EDITION – MINNEAPOLIS, MN

19 DEC, TUESDAY – MATINEE – MARINE-ON-ST-CROIX, MN

20 DEC, WEDNESDAY – MATINEE -MARINE-ON-ST-CROIX, MN

21 DEC, THURSDAY– MARINE-ON-ST-CROIX, MN

22 DEC, FRIDAY – SIMPLEPALOOZA – MARINE-ON-ST-CROIX, MN

23 DEC, SATURDAY – MARINE-ON-ST-CROIX, MN

SimpleGifts 2023 Thank You

Thank you!! That’s a wrap to 2022!

Thank you to all who were able to join us for our 2022 Christmas Tour! It was amazing being back with you all!

Keep an eye for our upcoming year-round shows, The Young & The Rest…

See you in 2023!

SG Harvest-Parkway

Harvest at the Parkway Preview on KBEM

Simple Gifts featuring Billy McLaughlin presents Harvest at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis, Sunday October 16 at 7PM. The show re-imagines songs of Neil Young, sung by Carin Vagle, Karen Paurus and Amy Courts, with a Celtic twist added by Laura MacKenzie, all under Bill McLaughlin’s direction. Phil Nusbaum sat down with members of the production, and when he did, Billy first addressed how this special show came into existence.

Listen to the eight-minute preview here!

Tickets for the show available here

Carin-Vagle

Exciting news for upcoming shows!

We are so excited that founding-member, vocalist Carin Vagle, will be joining us for the soon to be announced 2022 “The Young and the Rest” concert series. She is the roots beneath so much of the accomplishments of SimpleGifts over the decades. Truly a JOY to have her back on stage making musical magic with us this year!

SimpleGifts 2023 virtual concert

Simplegifts “Christmas From Marine” Pay-per-view Concert Launches Early – Available Now!

We just couldn’t wait until December 23rd to share this terrific performance featuring joyful SimpleGifts favorites captured with multi-cameras in high-def. Thanks to Steve Keller at ProMediaProductions for getting this virtual concert recording ready to share early! We plan on performing live next season but want to share our very best moments to celebrate this year with you at home.

Christmastide Goes Fireside

Christmastide Goes Fireside!

Join us every Sunday before Christmas at 4:30pm (central time) for our 2021 Christmastide Fireside Chats with present and past members of SimpleGifts!

We’ll enjoy unscripted conversation and answer as many questions as possible that you might send to us so “fire” away to: info@simplegiftsmusic.net! We will also share footage from last year and enjoy a look-back to the early days of the group.

These fireside chats are FREE! Share with friends and family! You can find us at SimpleGifts Facebook Live each Sunday beginning 11/28 at 4:30pm.

SimpleGifts

Timing is Everything – Shows Postponed…

Dear Friends,

It’s not fun for me to share this news but here it is…all SimpleGifts shows will be postponed through the end of 2021. In the past two weeks not only has Covid sickened band members and their families but it has been clear at the box-office that folks are reluctant to attend upcoming indoor shows. The few tickets that were purchased will be refunded promptly.

This decision comes with extraordinary disappointment after extensive assessment and consideration of countless factors. Practicing self-care is critical for all of us and I need to focus on doing so myself for the remainder of 2021. We will miss you all until a better time comes to produce live indoor events.

Regarding Christmastide, I will be hosting a series of “Fireside” podcasts featuring previously recorded live holiday tracks and special guests. We hope you will join us when they begin after Thanksgiving. That schedule will be confirmed soon so please check back for updates. We remain dedicated to celebrating Christmas no matter what!

Thank you for all your support of SimpleGifts over the years. You are the reason we feel so passionate about the music we present.

We value every opportunity to share our music with you and are excited to do so again when the time is right.

Most sincerely,
Billy

SG Windmill The Young and The Rest

Re-Watch the Spring 2021 Parkway Series

2021 Parkway Series

Warm Farewell to Heather Moen

Heather Garborg Moen has displayed her heart with abundant love in SimpleGifts for over a decade. She now is displaying that same love to focus on her family — husband Lee, daughters Adeline and Esther. Heather is stepping away from the spotlight that she commanded with talent and charisma after contributing greatly to the evolution of SimpleGifts. I can’t be happier for her and equally sad for this chapter in all our lives to end!

Let’s all send love and cheers to Heather — the voice, the violinist, the pianist and Norwegian advocate; my long-time “co-pilot” and dear creative friend; nothing is meant to stay the same forever — but we sure DID make magic with you — and that magic lives on!

God Bless you Heather!
– Billy