We heard Corey Medina play at the Line 3 Concert in Duluth last month and we knew we wanted to have him on the show. He did not disappoint and you can see him play in the Twin Cities on Thursday (Sep 30) at the Turf Club with Courtney Yasmineh and Laura Hugo.
Originally from New Mexico, Corey Medina has landed (thanks to a his lovely wife) in Bemidji in Northern Minnesota. He brings his history with him, having come from the Navajo Tribal Nation, brought up by a single woman who loved listening to the blues and encouraging his son to perform. Corey has a moving voice; as he said, it’s not pretty but it comes from passion to turn trauma to hope through the blues.
Corey plays with Eric Sundeen and Gary Broste (both from Bemidji). They are much his brothers as his bandmate, which is why they are called Corey Medina and The Brothers. They span three generations, which Corey says keeps his life grounded and the music fresh. Fun to hear that they are working on an album that will hopefully come out this year.
We spoke about music, life transition from New Mexico to Bemidji and the power for the reservations around him, his role as a decolonizing Christian and the importance protecting water with organizations such as Honor the Earth. Corey has so much energy – we covered so many topics in a relatively short time.
Mostly Minnesota 