Velahsa w. Jupiter Johnson, Mary Strand & The Garage
Sunday, January 11, 2026 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Velahsa is a three-piece alternative/punk band from Minneapolis. Velahsa is composed of lead singer/songwriter Bryan Miller on guitar, Doug Heeschen on bass and Jack Smrekar on drums. The band’s name is not an actual word but a shortened version of “velociraptor”.
Velahsa is not quite punk so much as hard-driving yet melodic rock along the lines of Foo Fighters / Nirvana and The Replacements.
Mary Strand & The Garage play an infectious mix of rock/pop songs that include punk rock, garage rock, and power pop. Mary’s influences include Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, the Ramones, the Dollyrots, the Pretenders, the La’s, and the Go-Go’s. Her first album, GOLDEN GIRL, released in 2023. Mary’s second album, I DON’T NEED YOUR PERMISSION, released on August 1, 2025.
When I was in second grade there was this kid named Jupiter who tried to start a detective club with some other kids. They apparently solved some mysteries but then Jupiter went missing and I don’t think the family ever found him.
Jupiter Johnson are a scrappy group of guys who bring a lot of energy and a somewhat passable amount of musicianship to the very smallest stages of the Twin Cities.