The Nebraska Bluegrass Concert Series will return to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for its fifth year, bringing three evenings of free live music in September.
The series will take place Sept. 2, 9 and 16 at Nebraska Innovation Campus. Food and beverages will be available for purchase from The Mill Coffee and Bistro beginning at 5 p.m., with music starting at 6 p.m. The concerts are free and open to the public.
Each concert will feature a local bluegrass or Americana group followed by a nationally recognized headliner.
“Reaching the fifth year of the Nebraska Bluegrass Concert Series is a wonderful milestone, and Innovation Campus is thrilled to continue to host this free, family-friendly event,” said Kate Engel, executive director of Nebraska Innovation Campus. “This series brings people together through great music and creates an opportunity for our campus and the broader community to connect, creating a destination where innovation, culture and community come together.”
The series opens Sept. 2 with Sister Sadie, a Grammy-nominated, International Bluegrass Music Association award-winning all-female bluegrass band that has performed at the Grand Ole Opry. Lincoln’s Corson Branch Buzzard Club will open the evening with old-time string band music, pre-war blues, early country and jazz.
On Sept. 9, The Jacob Jolliff Band will headline, with The McGovern Stringband opening. Jolliff is a National Mandolin Championship winner and one of the leading contemporary mandolinists. His band combines progressive bluegrass with original instrumental music and a range of vocal material, including traditional bluegrass and pop covers.
The McGovern Stringband is an acoustic Americana and bluegrass group featuring father-son vocalists Kelly and Brian McGovern. The group combines three-part harmonies with acoustic instrumentation and draws from bluegrass, Americana and other musical traditions.
The final concert, Sept. 16, will feature Appalachian Road Show, with Lincoln-based Shucks Brothers opening. Appalachian Road Show combines bluegrass and Americana with music and storytelling rooted in Appalachian culture.
The Shucks Brothers draw from traditional bluegrass while incorporating country, swing and instrumental music into their performances. The Lincoln group includes Dave Miller, regional general manager for ALLO Fiber, who also helps recruit performers for the concert series.
“We continue to receive inquiries from national acts interested in coming to Lincoln to perform,” Miller said. “We are grateful for the sponsors who make this series possible.”
The Mill Coffee and Tea owner Daniel Sloan said the business is excited to bring live music to Lincoln.
“The Mill is thrilled to be part of bringing live music to Lincoln in a free, family-friendly environment,” Sloan said. “Nebraska Innovation Campus is a beautiful venue, sort of bluegrass on the prairie, yet still right in the city.”
Jeff Maul, executive director of Visit Lincoln, said events such as the concert series help reinforce Lincoln’s reputation as a destination for music and culture.
“Music brings people together, not only from our local community, but also visitors from across the country and around the world,” Maul said. “This engagement, combined with our community’s unique brand of hospitality, creates a memorable experience and further establishes Lincoln as a music destination.”
For more information about the Nebraska Bluegrass Concert Series, including performer details and event updates, at Nebraska Innovation Campus.
