Kingfield singer brings Burt Bacharach hits to Crooners

“You could do a festival of just Bert Bacharach’s music and go for 10 hours straight,” Ariel Donahue, the singer of RetroFizz, explains from her Kingfield house. “I mean, it's wild how much material he has.”

Donahue grew up with a mom who was a performer. They listened and sang along to oldies music all the time. 

“This music is very much at the core of my upbringing and my tastes,” Donahue said. 

For people who didn’t grow up with 45s, FM radio, and record charts, Bacharach may not be a household name. Donanue admits his music is “very niche.”

But in his time, Bacharach was one of the most influential song writers, writing 52 top 40 hits in the 1950s and 60s. You may know his work from “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” or “That’s What Friends Are For.”

RetroFizz is celebrating the music of Bacharach at Crooners Supper Club on May 8 with a list of featured guests (Katie Gearty, Kathleen Johnson, Leslie Vincent, Katy Vernon, Kijana, Chris Pavlich, Dylan Hicks, and Willy Wisely). 

RetroFizz came together as a group when Donanhue met Joe Weismann, the band’s bassist, when they both performed in a musical at Park Square Theater.

RetroFizz in front of the Crooners Supper Club Stage

RetroFizz

The band focuses on easy going, 1960s pop music; what they call “elevator pop.” 

“Joe really wanted to play this music for a long time and hadn't quite found the right time or the right blend of folks,” Donahue said. “I've always loved this music, and just didn't know before that it was an option that other people would want to play it with me.” 

The band plays a lot of Bacharach in their set lists, so when the song writer passed away in 2023, they started organizing celebration shows like the one on Friday night. 

Crooners Supper Club, about 10 miles north of Southwest Minneapolis, offers music lovers a formal listening experience alongside dinner and cocktails. 

“We’re not loud,” Donahue said. “You won’t need earplugs.” 

RetroFizz presents “A Look Bacharach with RetroFizz and Friends” at Crooners Supper Club, 6161 Highway 65 NE, on May 8 from 7-8:30 p.m. Tickets are $30-$40.