Sage Shemroske (she/he) is a musician, curator, and event producer based in Minneapolis, MN.

Background

I grew up in the Chicago suburbs with a non-practicing Jew and ex-punk for a mother, and a neurotic devout atheist (formerly Irish Catholic) father. The youngest of three, I have been a poet and vegetarian since at least fifth grade, which were core tenants of a precocious and emotionally turbulent childhood. I thank large and unsupervised amounts of TV consumption and my mom’s CD copy of London Calling that was kept in the car at all times for much of my current disposition.

Values

My artistic background is formally in poetry, which continues to inform and inspire my literary and visual senses today. As a lover of high imagery and high concept, I value thoroughly curated productions. I think as a fan, an artist, and a introvert all at once when it comes to engaging an audience and hosting, whether that be as a frontperson on stage or directing guests at a party. I am most interested in audience engagement and dialogue between those on stage and those off (literally and metaphorically). I enjoy fusing humor and history, making sure that most outrageous elements of my work are grounded in context and often political education. I am, perhaps most importantly, a true believer in high stakes, zealousness, and maximalism when done with a critical eye.

Timeline

After withdrawing from a BFA program— where I had intentions to formalize my years of writing— in 2016 I cut my teeth in alternative lit circles, publishing a mix of confessional, sexual, and vivid poetry with publications like Vagabond City Lit (circa 2017) and Peach Magazine (circa 2018), among others to whom I’m grateful for. Most recently a zine of my poetry All I Ask is That You Keep Writing was released (and designed by) Back of Beyond press, which features pieces I wrote between 2020 and 2022.

I naturally started combining the shrewder parts of my poetic senses with music fanship to write music criticism sporadically throughout 2018-2023. In November of 2018 I co-created a zine called Locally Made that featured early music criticism in the form of a paper doll designed by visual artist El Horsfall. From there I was commissioned for artist bios and published an array of album reviews, concert recaps, and interviews with my fellow Midwesterners over at Hooligan Magazine and ANCHR Magazine. My work has also been featured across the pond in Balloon Machine (now defunct) and Secret Meeting, as well as in Slumber Magazine.

In 2022 I became a vocalist and co-songwriter in the Minneapolis based band Egg Girl Girl. Each Egg Girl Girl set was a different theme with planned sketches. Though we co-collaborated in developing these themes and writing sketch outlines, I was often the primary originator, along with fellow artist May Klug. During our active years (2022-2023) you could see Egg Girl Girl play chubby bunny with audience members as “summer camp counselors”, put tube socks on hour hands to act as bowling pins so that an audience member could bowl a strike at local alley Memory Lanes, and host a live dating game that resulted in an audience member winning a real date with our planted mystery bachelor by our final song. I often designed the fliers for Egg Girl Girl performances, and acted as band manager, taking duty over our social media content creation and strategy, as well as being the point of contact for bookers and other bands. Though Egg Girl Girl has since disbanded, I began a drum machine and guitar duo with Daniel Hughes called Selfish Teammate in 2023. I continue to play with Selfish Teammate, take over band manager duties, and work to book multi-genre shows throughout the Twin Cities in addition to being the sole songwriter.

In 2022 I co-founded Dykes 2 Watch Out 4, a collection of gay and trans organizers, artists, musicians, medics, and care-givers booking shows and throwing parties focused on pleasure, gay liberation, sexual liberation, and militant feminist praxis. After gathering in mutual friends’ living room to regularly discuss our anxieties and ideas in the wake of the imminent overturning of Roe v. Wade, we threw a fundraiser party called Abortion Bar in August of 2022. We threw Abortion Bar at local venue MirrorLab with an outdoor art market featuring local artists, a full dance floor with local DJs, related educational zines, and drinks provided by The Brass Strap. Through Abortion Bar we raised about $1,000 which we donated to SPIRAL Collective and Our Justice respectively. Since then we’ve throw six other parties, including SLAMMED in collaboration with The Brass Strap, and DIESEL DYKES in collaboration with Wrestle yr Friends.

​​You can stay up to date with me on Instagram @selfishteammate