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The newly renovated Renee Kathy Van Nett Pavilion was built for nights like this. On Tuesday, the gentle slopes of the hillside became an amphitheater, the legacy pavilion framed the stage, and hundreds of Duluthians — families, neighbors, and friends — gathered for a free Music in the Park concert that felt less like a performance and more like a community reunion.
The headliners were the Fish Heads, Mike and Kim Monson, a Duluth duo whose partnership has stretched more than three decades across stages large and small. They came with guitars, mandolin, ukulele, and a setlist that flipped easily from folk to bluegrass to classic rock. But what they really brought was a reminder of what music can mean in a neighborhood.
“We love bringing music into our communities, our neighborhoods,” Kim Monson said before the first set. “Music is what brings people together. It doesn’t matter your age or your background — it connects us.”
The connection was everywhere. Retirees tapped toes in folding chairs. Parents unpacked coolers and passed snacks. Kids darted through the grass with abandon, people danced near the musicians, their laughter mingling with the music. When the band broke into an unexpected Bee Gees cover, the crowd sang along in imperfect harmony, the hillside echoing with joy.
“This is where music belongs,” Monson said, gesturing beforehand to the families scattered across the park in lawn chair and sitting on blankets. “Not just in concert halls or ticketed arenas, but right here, in the neighborhoods where people live. That’s how community grows — through nights like this.”
The concert doubled as a showcase for Duluth Parks and Recreation, which in recent years has invested heavily in bringing life back to one of the city’s historic green spaces. The renovated pavilion, framed by warm wood and stone, stood as a symbol of that effort.
But the night belonged, in many ways, to the memory of Renee Van Nett. The late city councilor’s name now adorns the park, a fitting tribute to a leader remembered for her tireless advocacy.
Van Nett, who died unexpectedly in 2022 at the age of 55, was a groundbreaking figure in Duluth politics. She became the first Native American woman elected to the Duluth City Council in 2018, representing the Fourth District, which includes Lincoln Park, Piedmont Heights, Duluth Heights, and the far West Duluth neighborhood. She was a proud member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and carried her cultural identity into every debate, ensuring Native voices were not left on the margins of city decisions.
For Van Nett, the work was always about neighborhoods — the ones she lived in, the ones that raised her, and the ones too often left behind when downtown projects dominated the headlines. She championed safe housing, supported expanded programming for youth, and pushed relentlessly for parks and public spaces to be improved in the city’s western neighborhoods. She was a fierce advocate for equity, speaking out on racial justice and the struggles of working-class families in Duluth.
“Renee would have loved this,” Monson said, glancing at the crowd gathered under the pavilion. “She believed in community, in lifting people up. Nights like this are exactly what she worked so hard for.”
The Monsons have played everywhere from bars to festivals, but for them, the neighborhood concerts carry the deepest meaning.
“When we play in places like this, we’re not just performing,” Kim Monson said. “We’re giving something back. These are our neighbors, our friends, our community. That’s why nights like this matter so much to us.”
She paused as children danced near the pavilion brick slab. “We want people to feel joy,” she told the audience later. “If we can give that to our community, then we’ve done what we came here to do.”
And joy was everywhere. Couples swayed gently in time with the music. A little boy twirled in front of the pavilion, cheered on by his grandmother. A group of teenagers lounged on the grass, trying to act indifferent but smiling wide when the band launched into a song they knew by heart.
Even Mayor Roger Reinert was among the crowd, mingling with neighbors and applauding with everyone else as the Fish Heads carried the night. His presence underscored how far the park has come — from a tired green space that once felt overlooked to a living, breathing centerpiece of the Lincoln Park neighborhood.
The Music in the Park series has become a summer tradition in Duluth, but Tuesday’s concert felt especially poignant. It was more than entertainment. It was a living reminder of Van Nett’s work and the city’s ongoing commitment to its neighborhoods.
“This is Duluth at its best,” said Monson. “It’s free, it’s welcoming, it’s joyful. We want to keep doing our part to bring people together through music.”
As the final chords rang out and the sun slipped behind the trees, nobody seemed in a hurry to leave. Families folded chairs slowly. Neighbors lingered, chatting with one another in the warm evening air. The Fish Heads packed up their instruments, but the sense of togetherness lingered, a kind of afterglow that hung over the pavilion.
On a summer night in Lincoln Park, under the banner of a beloved community leader, it all came together: a park renewed, a crowd united, and three musicians offering their gift of music with open hands.
And for everyone who was there, the truth was simple. This wasn’t just a concert. It was Van Nett’s vision — a community gathered, a neighborhood alive, and Duluth at its best.
