Humbird brings her hymns to the cosmos to The Bishop

Siri Undlin's new album, Morning When It Comes, comes to a 200-capacity room on South Walnut on Tuesday, Nov. 17.

Tuesday night on South Walnut, in a room that used to rent out cult movies, a Minnesota songwriter will sing to the stars. It's a better way to spend a mid-November weeknight than most.

Humbird plays The Bishop on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. The room holds 200. Tickets and details are on The Bishop's site.

Humbird is the project of Minnesota singer-songwriter Siri Undlin. She comes to town with a new record, *Morning When It Comes*, her fourth album, which Nettwerk set for Sept. 25 (Folk Alley; Isthmus). It is a set of twelve songs billed as secular hymns, addressed to the cosmos rather than a humanized god. Undlin wrote them while working through a stretch of mental and physical illness. The album was recorded in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and it is her first time as co-producer, working alongside her longtime producer Shane Leonard. "Hey Big Dipper" and "Daughter of Empire" were shared ahead of the release.

It is her second album for Nettwerk, which signed her in October 2023 (Nettwerk) and released *Right On* in 2024 (Nettwerk). Minnesota's KAXE called that record her breakout. Nettwerk has since sent her around the country, including an appearance on NPR's Mountain Stage (Nettwerk).

Songs written for the night sky, in a room built for close listening.

Bloomington lands in the middle of a Midwest swing. Humbird plays Minneapolis–St. Paul on Nov. 13 and Green Bay and the Fox Valley on Nov. 15, then The Bishop on Nov. 17, the Chicago area the next night, Madison on Nov. 19 and Milwaukee on Nov. 21. It is the only Indiana stop on that run, so if you've been waiting for her to come through, this is the one.

The Bishop is the right size for it. The bar and venue sits at 123 S. Walnut St., about two blocks south of the Square, in the space that used to house The Cinemat, a cult video rental shop and theater (Bloomington Magazine). It books original music across a wide range, from metal and hip-hop to rock and folk, and it makes room for local bands, its owner told the Indiana Daily Student. Visit Bloomington counts it among the town's essential places to hear live music. Two hundred people is about right for songs this quiet.

What to know before going: it's a 7 p.m. start on a Tuesday, early enough for a school night. Check The Bishop's site for the age policy and for tickets before you head downtown. If you want to know the record first, start with "Hey Big Dipper."

When the set's over and you walk back out onto Walnut, look up. That's what the record is about.

Sources: The Bishop (thebishopbar.com); JamBase: Humbird at The Bishop (jambase.com); Folk Alley: Fresh Cuts — Hey North Star (folkalley.com); Isthmus: Humbird, bad posture club (isthmus.com); Nettwerk: Humbird signs to Nettwerk (nettwerk.com); Nettwerk: Humbird announces full-length album Right On (nettwerk.com); Nettwerk: Humbird brings electric live show to NPR's Mountain Stage (nettwerk.com); KAXE: Right On, breakout album from Minnesota singer-songwriter Humbird (kaxe.org); Bloomington Magazine: The Bishop, part bar, part music venue (magbloom.com); Indiana Daily Student: The Bishop owner creates home for local music (idsnews.com); Visit Bloomington: Where to hear live music in Bloomington (visitbloomington.com)