Nebraska Innovation Campus has partnered with local organizations to offer and host the Nebraska Bluegrass Concert Series for a third year. The live music concert series is free and open to the public and will feature local bluegrass bands opening for nationally recognized bluegrass bands and soloists from Tennessee and the Appalachian regions of the United States.
The 2024 concerts will occur in the Nebraska Innovation Campus plaza at 6 p.m. Sept. 4, 11 and 18. Food and drink will be available for purchase from The Mill Coffee and Bistro starting at 5 p.m.
“We are excited to host the 2024 Nebraska Bluegrass Concert Series at NIC,” said Kate Engel, executive director of NIC. “This series is a wonderful way to welcome people to NIC, and we are excited to activate our outdoor space with six fantastic bluegrass bands. Thanks to our generous partners for making this series possible for a third year.”
The concert series will kick off on Sept. 4 with headliner Appalachian Road Show, returning to the NIC Plaza for the third year in a row, and opening band Sandy Creek Pickers.
Appalachian Road Show is a visionary acoustic ensemble, bringing new-generation interpretations of traditional Americana, bluegrass and folk songs, as well as offering innovative original music, all presented with a common thread tied directly to the heart of the Appalachian regions of the United States. Grammy-nominated banjoist Barry Abernathy joins forces with Grammy-winning fiddler Jim VanCleve, fresh off his recent stint touring with multi-platinum country artist Josh Turner, as well as esteemed vocalist and mandolinist Darrell Webb, who has recorded and toured with Dolly Parton and Rhonda Vincent, among others. The group also includes guitarist Zeb Snyder, whose fierce and versatile playing recalls Doc Watson and Norman Blake as readily as it does Duane Allman and Stevie Ray Vaughn.
The Sandy Creek Pickers is a cohesive, six-man bluegrass unit featuring flawless twin fiddles, contest-winning guitar flatpicking, foot-stomping banjo, Dobro, mandolin and high-lonesome harmonies. They deliver all the new and old bluegrass favorites like they are jamming in your living room.
The Sept. 11 concert will be performed by Pitney Meyer and opener The McGovern Stringband.
Born of an enduring friendship and a love of traditional bluegrass music, Pitney Meyer is the musical brotherhood and songwriting collaboration of Mo Pitney and John Meyer. Committed to capturing the human element at every level of the recording process, Pitney Meyer, alongside Serve Productions, built a completely analog recording studio in the heart of an 1837 hand-hewn log cabin, formerly owned by Johnny Cash, now the Storytellers Hideaway Farm in Bon Aqua, Tenn. Pitney Meyer’s debut single “That Sounds Lonesome” was released in July 2024 and their full-length album, "Cherokee Pioneer," is set to release in the spring of 2025.
The McGovern Stringband is an acoustic Americana and bluegrass all string band from Lincoln. Their three- and four-part harmonies, combined with percussive acoustic instrumentation, bring back that legendary high lonesome sound of bluegrass.
The final concert on Sept. 18 will feature Andy Leftwich with the Shucks Brothers opening the evening.
Tennessee-based Andy Leftwich is a four-time Grammy-winning instrumentalist who began playing the fiddle at the age of six, entering his first contest at seven and winning the National Championship for Beginners at the age of 12. Adding mandolin and guitar to his arsenal, Leftwich began playing professionally at the age of fifteen. Since joining Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder in 2001, Andy has completed a solo album (“Ride”, Skaggs Family Records), recorded two critically acclaimed albums as a member of trio Three Ring Circle, and built an impressive list of studio credits, lending his talents to acts such as Steven Curtis Chapman, Keith and Kristyn Getty, Dailey & Vincent and many more. Most recently, he’s added “producer” to his resume, with the gospel group Point of Grace (“Directions Home”, Word Records).
The Shucks Brothers, based in Lincoln, will kick off the evening with some serious string tickling and great harmony vocals. They tip their hats to the great old bluegrass masters such as Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers, but they also feature country, swing and red-hot instrumentals. This group will surprise their audiences with dazzling improvisation, silly humor and a whole lot of fun.
“The Mill is thrilled to be part of bringing live music to Lincoln in a free, family-friendly environment,” said Daniel Sloan, owner of The Mill Coffee and Tea. “Nebraska Innovation Campus is a beautiful venue, sort of bluegrass on the prairie, but still in the city.”
Dave Miller, regional general manager at ALLO Fiber, assists with recruiting bands to perform during the Nebraska Bluegrass Concert Series. Miller is also a member of the Shucks Brothers and will perform during the Sept. 18 concert.
“We continue to receive inquiries from national acts who want to come to Lincoln and perform,” Miller said. “We are grateful for the sponsors who make this happen.”
The concert series is sponsored by NIC, The Mill, ALLO Fiber, Union Bank and Trust, Scarlet Hotel, Nebraska Nova and Music Go Round–Lincoln. Limited concert seating is available, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs. Concert attendees may access NIC by bike via the Billy Wolff Trail, by campus bus service from City Campus and East Campus with a valid UNL/StarTran bus pass, and by personal vehicle with parking available in the paved parking lot north of Transformation Drive. Additional information is available online.
