22 past events with the muncie three trails tag

Junior Brown and his guit-steel

The Muncie Three Trails Music Series welcomes Junior Brown to our city for a FREE concert from a true American original. With his trademark "guit-steel" (combo electric and pedal steel guitar), Junior has received critical acclaim far and wide for his ten albums and live appearances. Most recently, his music is featured in the Breaking Bad spin-off, Better Call Saul.This is a concert not to be missed. Opening will be Fort Wayne's rockabilly ace Tilford Sellers. For more information, please visit www.munciethreetrails.org.

Blues Hall of Fame inductee Joe Louis Walker will perform in a FREE concert at Canan Commons as part of the Muncie Three Trails Music Series. Opening will be Zach Day.

Muncie Memories project invites the public to share their favorite places on the Muncie map, c/o the Muncie Map Company. The map will be on view at the exhibition.

The Muncie Arts and Culture Council invites the public to the exhibition event for the Muncie Memories collaborative storytelling project on First Thursday, August 1st, from 5-8 PM in the PlySpace Gallery (608 E. Main St, Muncie). Muncie Memories, led by PlySpace Resident Fellow Meredith Kooi, is a project that encourages residents of Muncie to share their experiences, memories, and stories of the place they call home. Light refreshments will be served, and the public is invited to attend.

Over a 10-week period, the Muncie Memories project engaged more than 100 participants from the community who shared their stories, feelings, thoughts, and memories about Muncie with Kooi and a team of Ball State University School of Art interns: Ellie Phan, Jenna Mesker, Kai Cohen, Katie Strader, and Kitty Taylor. The exhibition will feature highlights from the project, including drawings by Cornerstone Summer Arts Camp students, interviews with Upward Bound of Ivy Tech students, archival material, photographs, audio and video documentation, interactive digital features, and more. Much of the material for the exhibition was sourced through the Muncie Memories Interview Booth, a place for discussion and sharing, that was set up at various public events throughout July including the Minnetrista Farmers Market, the Muncie Makers Market, the Cardinal Greenways Bike Fest, Be Here Now, the Muncie Three Trails Music Series, the Delaware County Fair, and the Muncie Delaware County Senior Center, among other locations.  

The First Thursday opening reception is part of Muncie Arts & Culture Council’s 10 for 10 MACCtivity series of events highlighted throughout 2019 in recognition of the organizations first decade of celebrating and support arts and culture in Muncie. PlySpace Gallery will hold additional viewing hours for the exhibition on Friday, August 2nd from 3-7 PM, Saturday August 3rd from 2-6 PM and Sunday August 4th from 2-6 PM. Parking for the exhibition is available in the lot next to PlySpace at Main St. and Monroe St., or in the Madjax parking lot at Jackson St. and Monroe St.

In addition to the exhibition, Kooi will also speak about her work and process in a public artist lecture at the Ball State University Arts and Journalism Building (Room 225) on August 5th, from 6-7PM. As an artist who focuses on the importance of place, Kooi visited with numerous Muncie residents, organizations, and businesses, expressing her desire to connect with the community of Muncie. In order to explore the history of Muncie, Kooi led the intern team on fieldwalks and research visits at a variety of Muncie locations throughout the summer. Each visit was captured through photographs and narrative articles on the Muncie Memories website (munciememories.tumblr.com), where it will remain as a living archive of Muncie. Though this exhibition marks the end of Kooi’s residency experience, she hopes to continue the project through the Muncie Memories website and other virtual platforms. Participation in the project is still encouraged by contacting her at munciememories@gmail.com.

Kooi, a Chicago native hailing from Atlanta, is an artist, curator, critic, researcher, and educator working across mediums who is driven by curiosity and an eagerness to understand the places where she finds herself. Using performance, radio, audio, installation, drawing, writing, the web, and social practice, Kooi digs into the materials of history to uncover narratives of place. She was awarded Creative Loafing’s inaugural Influencer in Art & Culture award (2018), was a recipient of the 2014-2015 Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs Emerging Artist Award, and was a WonderRoot Hughley Fellow (2017-18). She has held residencies at Wave Farm (Acra, NY; 2016), Elsewhere (Greensboro, NC; 2015), and Hambidge (Rabun Gap, GA; 2014), among others. She is the founder and director of the curatorial platform ALTERED MEANS, the former director of development at The Bakery Atlanta (2018), and was the editor and assistant director of Radius (2011-2017), an experimental radio broadcast platform in Chicago. Kooi received her MA in Visual and Critical Studies from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is currently a PhD candidate in The Graduate Institute of the Liberal Arts at Emory University. 

More information about Kooi and other PlySpace Summer Term events can be found on the PlySpace website at www.PlySpace.org/events and the PlySpace Facebook page. Questions or comments about the PlySpace Residency program, events, and community collaborations can be directed to the Residency Coordinator, Erin Williams, at hello@plyspace.org. Learn more about Muncie Arts & Culture Council at www.munciearts.org.

PlySpace is a program of Muncie Arts and Culture Council in partnership with the City of Muncie, Ball State University School of Art, and Sustainable Muncie Corporation. PlySpace is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. 

Modern Cajun masters Lost Bayou Ramblers will perform in a FREE, all ages outdoor concert as part of the Muncie Three Trails Music Series. The concert will take place at 7:00 PM on Saturday, July 10th at Canan Commons in Downtown Muncie, Indiana. Opening will be the Lost Bayou Ramblers themselves, playing an acoustic set of traditional Cajun music.

Lost Bayou Ramblers’ evolution as a perversely progressive band rooted in Cajun traditions continues to excite, challenge, and redefine both genre expectations as well as cultural preconceptions. Their Jack White produced performance in the 2017 documentary series and on the accompanying record release “American Epic” helped solidify Lost Bayou Ramblers’ reputation as one of the world’s finest traditional Cajun outfits, if one of the least orthodox. With eight albums, a Grammy nomination, contributions to the score of the Oscar-nominated “Beasts Of The Southern Wild,” and tours with both Arcade Fire and the Violent Femmes, the group continues to swing wide from their Louisiana home base. But their reputation within that base is solidly established, reflected by their 2012 release “Mammoth Waltz” being selected as #2 in the “Top 21 Louisiana albums of the 21st Century” by the Times Picayune. Please come and see what promises to be a truly unique musical explosion!

The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is unique in the state of Indiana as the only annual music series featuring current recording artists of national stature and critical acclaim in FREE public concerts. Other 2021 series artists are Asleep At The Wheel, the Sensational Barnes Brothers, and Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper. Full information about the series and all 2021 artists can be found at www.munciethreetrails.com.

Join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter too!

Explore the Trails, Enjoy the Music!

Sensational Barnes Brothers at Canan Commons for the Muncie Three Trails Music Series!

Saturday, July 24th, 2021 
7PM-10PM

8-piece Memphis soul/gospel powerhouse the Sensational Barnes Brothers will perform in a FREE, all ages, outdoor concert as part of the Muncie Three Trails Music Series! The concert will take place at 7:00 PM on Saturday, July 24th at Canan Commons in downtown Muncie, Indiana. Opening will be rock ‘n’ soul instrumentalists the SBB Band. This concert is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County.

The Sensational Barnes Brothers are a melting pot of the old and the new. Bridging the gap between traditional black gospel and the soul sounds of Stax and Al Green, Chris and Courtney Barnes unleashed a critically acclaimed debut album, Nobody’s Fault But My Own, in 2020 and have caught fire throughout the Midwest and nation-wide. Chris and Courtney are able to dive deep into their roots, creating a sound that reflects the music of their history, all the while drawing in a modern-day audience.

The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is unique in the state of Indiana as the only annual music series featuring current recording artists of national stature and critical acclaim in FREE public concerts. Other 2021 series artists are Asleep At The Wheel, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, and the Lost Bayou Ramblers. Full information about the series and all 2021 artists can be found at www.MuncieThreeTrails.com.

Join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter too!

Explore the Trails, Enjoy the Music!

Bluegrass greats Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper will perform in a FREE, all ages, outdoor concert as part of the 2021 Muncie Three Trails Music Series! The concert will take place at 7:00 PM on Saturday, August 7th at Canan Commons in Downtown Muncie, Indiana. Muncie's Bashville Boys will open the show.

Michael Cleveland is one of the most decorated fiddle players in bluegrass history, with 12 IBMA “Fiddle Player of the Year” awards. Michael was also inducted into the National Fiddle Player Hall of Fame in 2018, and, along with his group, Flamekeeper, most recently won the 2020 Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album for their release, “Tall Fiddller”. “He plays fearless and it’s intoxicating to play with him because he makes you play fearless,” says Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill. “It’s wicked to see how much music he pulls out of a bow. He’s untouchable.” In addition to Vince Gill, Michael has also played with such legendary musicians as Marty Stuart, Tim O’Brien, J.D. Crowe and the New South, Ralph Stanley, Doc Watson, Larry Sparks, and Doyle Lawson.

Since forming his group Flamekeeper in 2006, they have won 6 additional IBMA awards for Instrumental Group of the Year. The band’s current line-up of Josh Richards on guitar, Nathan Livers on mandolin, Jasiah Strode on banjo, and Chris Douglas on bass, definitely keeps the flame burning bright. Come join us for what is sure to be a fantastic show!

The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is unique in the state of Indiana as the only annual music series featuring current recording artists of national stature and critical acclaim in FREE public concerts. Other 2021 series artists are Asleep At The Wheel, the Sensational Barnes Brothers, and the Lost Bayou Ramblers. Full information about the series and all 2021 artists can be found at www.MuncieThreeTrails.com

Enjoy the Trails, Enjoy the Music!

Join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter too!

Acclaimed Western Swing band Asleep at the Wheel will perform in a FREE, all ages, outdoor concert as part of the 2021 Muncie Three Trails Music Series! The concert will take place at 7:00 PM on Saturday, September 11th at Canan Commons in Downtown Muncie, Indiana. The Ball State University Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Mark Buselli, will perform as the opening act. This concert is sponsored by Ball State University - learn more here:
www.bsu.edu/jazz

The musicianship of Asleep at the Wheel has become the stuff of legends. Reuter’s pegged The Wheel as "one of the best live acts in the business." Taking a page from Bob Wills’ book, the band has constantly toured at a national level. The alumni roster is well over 80+ members, including an impressive list of musicians who have performed with the artists such as Bob Dylan, George Strait, Van Morrison, Lyle Lovett, Ryan Adams, and many more. A quick scan of awards, such as "Touring Band of the Year" (CMAs, 1976) and "Lifetime Achievement in Performance" (Americana Music Awards, 2009), not to mention their near dominance of the Grammy "Country Instrumental" category over the years (they have won ten Grammys overall!), reflects the reputation of the band’s musicianship. Currently the band consists of Ray Benson on Lead Guitar and Vocals, Katie Shore on Fiddle and Vocals, David Sanger on Drums, Dennis Ludiker on Fiddle, Mandolin, and Vocals, Josh Hoag on Bass, Connor Forsyth on Piano and Vocals, and Flavio Pasquetto on Steel Guitar. Ray Benson fell in love with Western Swing because of its unique combination of American blues, swing, and traditional fiddling, and due its demanding musical chops. It’s what Benson calls "jazz with a cowboy hat". It’s a thrill to hear live and, between those Texas Twin Fiddles and Boogie Piano, you can bet you’ll be dancin’ down the aisles and swingin’ all night long when the Wheel rolls into Muncie!

The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is unique in the state of Indiana as the only annual music series featuring current recording artists of national stature and critical acclaim in FREE public concerts. Other 2021 series artists are Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Sensational Barnes Brothers, and the Lost Bayou Ramblers. Full information about the series and all 2021 artists can be found at www.MuncieThreeTrails.com

Enjoy the Trails, Enjoy the Music!

Join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter too!

The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is thrilled to present the 9th season in which the series presents critically acclaimed national recording artists in four FREE concerts at Canan Commons in Downtown Muncie. All shows begin at 7 PM and are all ages. And this season, we will also be presenting a special “Bonus” concert at Cornerstone Center for the Arts. Complete information on the series and all artists, including samples of their music, can be found at www.munciethreetrails.com.

Americana artist James McMurtry will open our series on Saturday, July 30th. With eight albums, including American Music Awards’ “Album of the Year” winner Childish Things, a Grammy nomination, and having one of his songs, “We Can’t Make It Here” named by famed music critic Robert Christgau in 2010 as “Song of the Decade,” McMurtry’s list of accolades is impressive. His latest release, The Horses and the Hounds, continues his tradition of writing hardscrabble songs about good people at bad extremes and the disintegration of small towns in flyover America. Muncie native Mike Martin and the Beautiful Mess will open the show.

The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is a non-profit partnership between Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, Muncie Arts and Culture Council, and Rick Zeigler, series founder and organizer. The mission of the series is to bring critically acclaimed, national recording artists to perform at Canan Commons, Muncie’s premier outdoor performance venue, located in the heart of Downtown Muncie. A second mission is to promote the many recreational, artistic, and cultural attractions located along, or in close proximity to, Canan Commons and Muncie’s popular “Three Trails” -- The White River Greenway, Cardinal Greenway, and Muncie Arts and Culture Trail. We hope attendees will heed our slogan, “Explore the Trails, Enjoy the Music”.

#MTTMS

#LiveMusic

#MuncieArts

#Summer2022

The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is thrilled to present the 9th season in which the series presents critically acclaimed national recording artists in four FREE concerts at Canan Commons in Downtown Muncie. All shows begin at 7 PM and are all ages. And this season, we will also be presenting a special “Bonus” concert at Cornerstone Center for the Arts. Complete information on the series and all artists, including samples of their music, can be found at www.munciethreetrails.com.

Canadian duo The Small Glories will grace the Canan Commons stage on Saturday, August 13th. Featuring Cara Luft, a founding member of The Wailin' Jennys, along with partner JD Edwards, the folk duo have what American UK has labelled “Lennon-McCartney syndrome,” writing, “Some things just work together… to witness a performance by The Small Glories is a rare opportunity to experience that indefinable quality that creates perfection.” Apparently critics agree as the group walked off with Album of the Year, Ensemble of the Year, and Vocal Group of the Year at the 2020 Canadian Folk Music Awards, along with an “Artist of the Year” accolade from the International Folk Music Awards. In addition, Paste Magazine has selected them as one of the “Top 10 Folk Artists You Need to Know”. Opening the show will be Flatland Harmony Experiment. This concert is sponsored by DeFur Voran.

The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is a non-profit partnership between Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, Muncie Arts and Culture Council, and Rick Zeigler, series founder and organizer. The mission of the series is to bring critically acclaimed, national recording artists to perform at Canan Commons, Muncie’s premier outdoor performance venue, located in the heart of Downtown Muncie. A second mission is to promote the many recreational, artistic, and cultural attractions located along, or in close proximity to, Canan Commons and Muncie’s popular “Three Trails” -- The White River Greenway, Cardinal Greenway, and Muncie Arts and Culture Trail. We hope attendees will heed our slogan, “Explore the Trails, Enjoy the Music”.

#MTTMS

#LiveMusic

#MuncieArts

#Summer2022

The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is thrilled to present the 9th season in which the series presents critically acclaimed national recording artists in four FREE concerts at Canan Commons in Downtown Muncie. All shows begin at 7 PM and are all ages. And this season, we will also be presenting a special “Bonus” concert at Cornerstone Center for the Arts. Complete information on the series and all artists, including samples of their music, can be found at www.munciethreetrails.com.

2021 Grammy and Latin GRAMMYs nominees Flor de Toloache, an all-female mariachi ensemble, will return to the Canan Commons stage for our third concert of the year on Saturday, August 27th. Flor De Toloache, which translates as “deadly flower” and also refers to a main ingredient in traditional love potions, was founded in 2008 and is lead by singers Mireya Ramos & Shae Fiol. They weave a variety of influences (e.g., salsa, bactata, cumbia, gypsy, Latin jazz, pop, hip-hop, soul) into their unique sound, giving them an edgy, versatile and fresh take on traditional Mexican music. They perform original songs, new arrangements of classic Mariachi tunes, as well as an eclectic selection of covers that can include songs by artists such as Adele and Erykah Badu. Pavel & Direct Contact will open the show. This concert is sponsored by Ball State University.

The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is a non-profit partnership between Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, Muncie Arts and Culture Council, and Rick Zeigler, series founder and organizer. The mission of the series is to bring critically acclaimed, national recording artists to perform at Canan Commons, Muncie’s premier outdoor performance venue, located in the heart of Downtown Muncie. A second mission is to promote the many recreational, artistic, and cultural attractions located along, or in close proximity to, Canan Commons and Muncie’s popular “Three Trails” -- The White River Greenway, Cardinal Greenway, and Muncie Arts and Culture Trail. We hope attendees will heed our slogan, “Explore the Trails, Enjoy the Music”.

#MTTMS

#LiveMusic

#MuncieArts

#Summer2022

The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is thrilled to present the 9th season in which the series presents critically acclaimed national recording artists in four FREE concerts at Canan Commons in Downtown Muncie. All shows begin at 7 PM and are all ages. And this season, we will also be presenting a special “Bonus” concert at Cornerstone Center for the Arts. Complete information on the series and all artists, including samples of their music, can be found at www.munciethreetrails.com.

Three Trails’ favorite Pokey LaFarge will be featured at Canan Commons in the fourth concert of our 2022 series on Saturday, September 10th. Mr. LaFarge’s appearances at the 2016 and 2017 Muncie Three Trails Music Series attracted some of the biggest crowds in our history, so we were anxious to have him back. However, we have had to wait, as he first had some personal travails to deal with, self-described as “a fall from grace,” that was then swiftly followed by the Covid pandemic. LaFarge states, “Before the pandemic, I was in a dark place, but the pandemic actually created the much needed space for me to reflect. ... I found peace in the stillness. I was able to recalibrate what it is I do and why I’m doing it. Who I’m to do it with and most importantly, who I’m doing it for.” His newest album, In the Blossom of Their Shade, signals yet another stylistic shift for Pokey, adding influences from the Southwest, South America, and the Caribbean to his mix of hot swing, ragtime, country blues, and Americana. The Ball State University Jazz Ensembles will open the show. This concert is sponsored by The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc..

The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is a non-profit partnership between Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, Muncie Arts and Culture Council, and Rick Zeigler, series founder and organizer. The mission of the series is to bring critically acclaimed, national recording artists to perform at Canan Commons, Muncie’s premier outdoor performance venue, located in the heart of Downtown Muncie. A second mission is to promote the many recreational, artistic, and cultural attractions located along, or in close proximity to, Canan Commons and Muncie’s popular “Three Trails” -- The White River Greenway, Cardinal Greenway, and Muncie Arts and Culture Trail. We hope attendees will heed our slogan, “Explore the Trails, Enjoy the Music".

#MTTMS

#LiveMusic

#MuncieArts

#Summer2022

The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is thrilled to present the 9th season in which the series presents critically acclaimed national recording artists in four FREE concerts at Canan Commons in Downtown Muncie. All shows begin at 7 PM and are all ages. And this season, we will also be presenting this special “Bonus” concert at Cornerstone Center for the Arts. Complete information on the series and all artists, including samples of their music, can be found at www.munciethreetrails.com.

On September 24th, the Muncie Three Trails series will present a special “bonus” fifth concert at Cornerstone Center for the Arts’ E.B. Ball Auditorium. This show will feature Wales- born and London-based solo acoustic guitarist Gwenifer Raymond. Raymond’s specific field of solo guitar is known as “American primitive,” a term coined by acoustic guitarist John Fahey in the late 50’s to describe his own music, intended to somehow convey an ineffable and ever-evolving amalgam of influences. For Gwenifer, this means she melds Appalachian folk, Southern pre-war country blues, Indian ragas and drone-based music, along with hints of vintage gothic horror films and a good dose of Welsh folkloric strangeness. The sound she makes is so cavernous, evocative and frenetic it seems as though at least two more guitarists must be hiding somewhere in the wings. Be prepared for a completely unique and spellbinding experience when Gwenifer Raymond takes the Cornerstone stage. Lonesome With Company will open the show.

The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is a non-profit partnership between Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, Muncie Arts and Culture Council, and Rick Zeigler, series founder and organizer. The mission of the series is to bring critically acclaimed, national recording artists to perform at Canan Commons, Muncie’s premier outdoor performance venue, located in the heart of Downtown Muncie. A second mission is to promote the many recreational, artistic, and cultural attractions located along, or in close proximity to, Canan Commons and Muncie’s popular “Three Trails” -- The White River Greenway, Cardinal Greenway, and Muncie Arts and Culture Trail. We hope attendees will heed our slogan, “Explore the Trails, Enjoy the Music".

#MTTMS

#LiveMusic

#MuncieArts

#Summer2022

Tommy Castro & The Painkillers LIVE at the 2023 Muncie Three Trails Music Series!

Please join us on Saturday, July 29th at 7:00pm, at Canan Commons in Downtown Muncie, Indiana for the 2023 season kickoff of our Summer of FREE CONCERTS with TOMMY Castro & The Painkillers and special guest opener Lovesick Moan!

Whether he’s squeezing out the deepest blues or playing the funkiest soul grooves, legendary blues and soul giant Tommy Castro knows how to ignite a crowd. Over the course of his still-unfolding career, the guitarist, vocalist and songwriter has released 16 albums ranging from horn-fueled soul and R&B to piping hot blues to fiery rock ‘n’ roll. He’s performed all over the world, earning countless fans with his legendary, sweat-drenched, exhilarating live shows. Castro’s band, The Painkillers—bassist Randy McDonald, drummer Bowen Brown, and keyboardist Michael Emerson—have now been playing together for over seven years. After hundreds of live shows, they have coalesced into one of the telepathically tightest units Castro has ever assembled, making them one of the most in-demand live roots music acts performing today. “This is the best band we’ve ever had,” says Castro. “We really got something going on beyond just being good musicians. Every song we play live now has that right feel—all the dynamics. It allows us to jam out more on stage.”

Born in San Jose, California in 1955, Tommy first picked up a guitar at age 10. He formed the first Tommy Castro Band in 1991, releasing his debut album in 1996 on the Blind Pig label. During the 1990s and into the 2000s, Castro recorded a series of critically acclaimed albums for various labels, then hooked up with Alligator Records in 2009, releasing Hard Believer to massive acclaim. Castro formed the first incarnation of The Painkillers in 2012, and by 2014 (with Brown and Emerson taking over drums and keys respectively), Castro stripped his music down to its raw essence with the new, smaller band, creating a larger than life sound. The San Francisco Chronicle describes Castro’s music as, “funky Southern soul, big city blues and classic rock...silvery guitar licks that simultaneously sound familiar and fresh.” No Depression says “Castro plays gritty, string-bending blues like a runaway soul train...a glorious blend that rocks the soul and lifts the spirits.” The Washington Post says Castro is “phenomenal and funky” with “soulful vocals and inspired blues-rock guitar.” Blues Revue perhaps sums it up best by simply saying, “Tommy Castro can do no wrong.”

In 2022, hot on the heels of his latest release, A Bluesman Comes to Town, Castro and his band snagged Blues Music Awards for Album of the Year, Band of the Year, and, for the third time, the coveted B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year (the very highest award a blues performer can receive). His relentless road-dog approach—gig after gig, night after night—has won him loyal, lifelong fans everywhere he plays. Live on stage, Tommy Castro & The Painkillers’ road-hardened musicianship brings an unmatched passion to Castro’s blue-eyed California soul and hard-rocking, good-time songs. We are happy to welcome Tommy Castro & The Painkillers back to the Muncie Three Trails stage!

Visit Tommy Castro & The Painkillers here:

https://www.TommyCastro.com

Presented by the The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, THANK YOU to our Sponsors!

The primary mission of the Muncie Three Trails Music Series is to bring critically acclaimed, national recording artists to perform at Canan Commons, Muncie’s newest outdoor performance venue, located in the heart of Downtown. All concerts are free to the public. Our second mission is to promote the many recreational, artistic, and cultural attractions located along, or in close proximity to, Canan Commons and Muncie’s popular “Three Trails” -- The White River Greenway, The Cardinal Greenway, and The Muncie Arts and Culture Trail. We hope that the combination of outstanding concerts and Muncie’s attractions will provide both local citizens and visitors from throughout the region and state with a full day of fun and music.

🎶 Explore The Trails, Enjoy The Music! 🎶

Please visit our website to learn much more about our 2023 Muncie Three Trails Music Series:

https://www.munciethreetrails.com

The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys LIVE at the 2023 Muncie Three Trails Music Series!

Please join us on Saturday, August 12th at 7:00pm, at Canan Commons in Downtown Muncie, Indiana for our Summer of FREE CONCERTS with The Po' Ramblin' Boys and special guest opener The Bashville Boys!

At a time when most people feel constantly distracted by technology and barraged by the news, authenticity and straightforward honesty are paramount. There’s something about the music of The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys that cuts right through the noise of the world and speaks plainly to the soul. Formed in the Smoky Mountains, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys are at once exactly what you would expect and not at all what you would expect from a tattooed East Tennessee Bluegrass outfit. No strangers to hard work, the boys are as much at home riding in their restored Eagle tour bus as they are crawling underneath to fix it when it needs maintenance. But they take pride in being ambassadors of their genre, and the group has brought their music from rural bluegrass festival stages to the rock clubs of Europe, and even the Grammy Red Carpet, with stunning results. “I think to a certain extent everyone is just craving music that they can feel, and any music that feels real will reach any audience” says CJ Lewandowski, the groups founder.

In 2014, Lewandowski was working at Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery in Sevierville, TN. The distillery employed musicians to play for visitors seven days a week, and Lewandowski, who primarily plays mandolin and sings, was occasionally hired to fill in when the entertainment didn’t show. Eventually, the distillery approached him about forming a band for a full time slot, so he reached out to long time music friends Jereme Brown, who plays banjo for the group, and Josh Rinkel, who plays guitar. “Jereme was doing a lot of welding work at that time, and Josh was running a sign company”, says Lewandowski, “I think we were all ready to do something new, something with our music but we didn’t know when or how”. Bassist Jasper Lorentzen happened to be working in the tasting room at the distillery, and he turned out to be the perfect addition to the band. Apparently the bluegrass world agreed, as the group garnered the International Bluegrass Music Association’s (IBMA) Emerging Artist of the Year award in 2018. Then, in 2020, the finishing touch was added to the quartet when Laura Orshaw, a seasoned fiddle player and singer, joined the Boys.

Material for the group’s freshman Rounder Records album, Toil, Tears & Trouble, is a combination of original songs and old numbers that honor the group’s mentors and bluegrass heroes. “We love to dig up old songs that haven’t been heard in years and bring them back into the spotlight”, explains Lewandowski. The record has enjoyed great acclaim, receiving the band’s first Grammy nomination for “Best Bluegrass Album,” an “Album of the Year” nomination from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), and winning “Song of the Year” award from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music for America for the tune “Next Train South.”

Visit The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys here:

https://www.theporamblinboys.com

The primary mission of the Muncie Three Trails Music Series is to bring critically acclaimed, national recording artists to perform at Canan Commons, Muncie’s newest outdoor performance venue, located in the heart of Downtown. All concerts are free to the public. Our second mission is to promote the many recreational, artistic, and cultural attractions located along, or in close proximity to, Canan Commons and Muncie’s popular “Three Trails” -- The White River Greenway, The Cardinal Greenway, and The Muncie Arts and Culture Trail. We hope that the combination of outstanding concerts and Muncie’s attractions will provide both local citizens and visitors from throughout the region and state with a full day of fun and music.

Explore The Trails, Enjoy The Music!

Please visit our website to learn much more about our 2023 Muncie Three Trails Music Series:

https://www.munciethreetrails.com

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper LIVE at the 2023 Muncie Three Trails Music Series!

Please join us on Friday, August 25th at 7:00pm, at Canan Commons in Downtown Muncie, Indiana for our Summer of FREE CONCERTS with Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper and special guest opener The Punkin Holler Boys!

"My desire to present the amazing artistry of Michael Cleveland to residents of Muncie and East Central Indiana was one of my main motivations in starting the Muncie Three Trails Music Series."

- Rick Zeigler, Founder, Muncie Three Trails Music Series

The tension between tradition and innovation is at the core of bluegrass music, and the fiddle playing of Michael Cleveland exemplifies this musical tug of war. As a boy, Cleveland heard a local fiddler play “Orange Blossom Special,” which sparked a lifelong obsession with the tune that mimics the sound of a train. Cleveland’s improvisational versions push the piece’s descriptive tones and percussive bowing to a new level. With an encyclopedic memory for melodies, and an uncanny intuition for improvisation, Cleveland’s music is both rooted in tradition and fueled by his melodic imagination.

From an early age, Cleveland heard old-time and bluegrass music at local jams and festivals near his hometown of Henryville, Indiana. His grandparents hosted regular bluegrass gatherings at the American Legion, and at age four, he began playing the fiddle. He attended the Kentucky School for the Blind in Louisville, where he learned the Suzuki method of violin. While he practiced the violin at school, he played fiddle at home. Traveling with his grandparents to area bluegrass festivals, he heard many legendary players perform at Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Festival in Bean Blossom, Indiana. At the age of nine, Cleveland got to play with Monroe—a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship in the inaugural class of 1982—at the festival. When Cleveland was 12, he met music historian Dave Samuelson, who recognized the young musician’s interest and talent. Samuelson curated several Braille-labeled tapes for the young musician, which served as Cleveland’s essential listening guide to bluegrass music. Cleveland’s repertoire and musicianship grew, and in 1993 he played the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards show with the Bluegrass Youth All-Stars.

Cleveland began playing professionally after he graduated from high school, first with Jeff White and later with Dale Ann Bradley and Rhonda Vincent. Since he was young, however, Cleveland had dreamed of leading his own band. In 2006, he formed Flamekeeper, now seven-time recipients of the IBMA’s “Instrumental Group of the Year” award. Flamekeeper includes Josh Richards, Nathan Livers, Jasiah Shrode, and Chris Douglas. In addition to touring with his band, Cleveland has performed with a legendary list of bluegrass greats. Nevertheless, he remains rooted in his local Southern Indiana community, where he continues to play with friends when he is not on tour.

Widely considered the best bluegrass fiddler of his generation, Cleveland has been recognized 12 times as the IBMA’s “Fiddler of the Year,” and in 2018 he was inducted into the National Fiddler’s Hall of Fame. His recording Fiddler’s Dream was nominated in 2018 for a Grammy for “Best Bluegrass Album,” and in 2019, his album Tall Fiddler won that award. In 2019, Cleveland’s amazing life of adversity and achievement was featured in the documentary film Flamekeeper: The Michael Cleveland Story. And in 2022, he, like his idol Bill Monroe, was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship.

Visit Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper here:

www.michaelclevelandfiddle.com

Presented by Ball State University, THANK YOU to our Sponsors!

The primary mission of the Muncie Three Trails Music Series is to bring critically acclaimed, national recording artists to perform at Canan Commons, Muncie’s newest outdoor performance venue, located in the heart of Downtown. All concerts are free to the public. Our second mission is to promote the many recreational, artistic, and cultural attractions located along, or in close proximity to, Canan Commons and Muncie’s popular “Three Trails” -- The White River Greenway, The Cardinal Greenway, and The Muncie Arts and Culture Trail. We hope that the combination of outstanding concerts and Muncie’s attractions will provide both local citizens and visitors from throughout the region and state with a full day of fun and music.

Explore The Trails, Enjoy The Music!

Please visit our website to learn much more about our 2023 Muncie Three Trails Music Series:

https://www.munciethreetrails.com

The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio LIVE at the 2023 Muncie Three Trails Music Series!

Please join us on Saturday, September 9th at 7:00pm, at Canan Commons in Downtown Muncie, Indiana for our Summer of FREE CONCERTS with The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio and special guest opener Ball State University Jazz Ensembles!

Soul-jazz groove-machine the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio (DLO3) never would have happened without years and years of crummy gigs and Delvon’s staunchly supportive wife, Amy Novo. The story goes that Hammond B3 organist Delvon would regularly lug his 400-pound instrument from venue to venue, barely breaking even, to play other people’s music, and Amy just got tired of it. She fiercely believed in Delvon’s talents, and, eventually, she made an offer he couldn’t refuse: If Delvon picked the musicians, she would take care of all the business surrounding the gigs.

The three-piece DL03 started in May, 2015, and since then has issued three #1 Billboard-charting albums, as well as a 45. The Seattle-based trio’s music is best described as “feel good music.” DLO3 conjures the smoky 1960s jazz and soul stylings of Jimmy Smith, Booker T. & The M.G.’s, The Meters, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and Charles Earland. Within DLO3’s distinct jazz stew there are also dashes of Motown, Stax Records, blues, and cosmic Jimi Hendrix-style guitar. The band features Delvon Lamarr on the legendary Hammond B3 organ, with dynamo Jimmy James on guitar, and Julian MacDonough on drums.

Live, the band is telepathically musical, easing through improvisational ideas, grooves, and extended jams with silken swagger. Their exhilarating live performances also showcase the band’s deep personal connections, with witty between-song repartee, song story vignettes, and unpredictably dynamic flights of in-the-moment musicality. The three-piece has quickly made a name for themselves, including a feature on Seattle’s KEXP “Local Artist Spotlight”; a live performance at Upstream Music Festival which has garnered over 7 million views; and numerous national and international tours and performances. The band’s live connection also carries over into the studio and the band’s compositional approach, as much of the band’s recorded repertoire is written on the spot during soundchecks, on the bandstand, or while in the studio.

Besides prodigious talent and a rare chemistry, a constant ingredient in DLO3’s success has been manager/den mother Amy Novo, who heads up Novo Productions LLC. Amy is affectionately referred to as “Shortcake” by the band, and has been called “Mafia” by some industry professionals, resulting in the modified nickname, “Shortcake Mafia.” Years ago, Amy would hear Delvon’s fears about being known as the local legend who never went anywhere. Today, through Amy’s tireless work ethic, and Delvon’s bottomless talent, the power couple have taken the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio beyond their wildest dreams. “I used to listen to the old jazz greats and think about their European travels. For years, I thought it would never happen for me, and then Miss Novo made it happen. Without her we would still be in the basement,” Delvon marvels. Amy adds: “I’m not a salesperson—I can only do something I believe in—but Delvon is so talented, and I am passionate about keeping his music alive. I fight for the artists I work with.”

Visit The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio here:

https://delvonlamarrorgantrio.com

Presented by DeFur Voran, THANK YOU to our Sponsors!

The primary mission of the Muncie Three Trails Music Series is to bring critically acclaimed, national recording artists to perform at Canan Commons, Muncie’s newest outdoor performance venue, located in the heart of Downtown. All concerts are free to the public. Our second mission is to promote the many recreational, artistic, and cultural attractions located along, or in close proximity to, Canan Commons and Muncie’s popular “Three Trails” -- The White River Greenway, The Cardinal Greenway, and The Muncie Arts and Culture Trail. We hope that the combination of outstanding concerts and Muncie’s attractions will provide both local citizens and visitors from throughout the region and state with a full day of fun and music.

Explore The Trails, Enjoy The Music!

Please visit our website to learn much more about our 2023 Muncie Three Trails Music Series:

https://www.munciethreetrails.com

REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND TO HEADLINE FREE CONCERT IN MUNCIE, INDIANA

Acclaimed country blues group The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band will be performing in a FREE outdoor concert as part of the 2024 Muncie Three Trails Music Series. The concert will take place at 7:00 PM on Saturday, July 27th at Canan Commons (500 South Walnut Street) in the heart of Downtown Muncie! Muncie's own Lovesick Moan will open the show. Lawn chairs, picnic blankets, and dancing are always welcome! We encourage you to come early, and to come hungry and thirsty to enjoy local food and beverage vendors before the show. This concert is sponsored by DeFur Voran, thank you!

RSVP that you are "Going" to the show here:

The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band at the 2024 Muncie Three Trails Music Series

There aren’t a lot of Warped Tour veterans who can claim proficiency in the use of bottleneck slides, washboards, and five-gallon buckets. Most didn’t spend their teens playing along to Charlie Patton and Bukka White albums. And just about none are fronted by a commissioned member of the Honorary Order of Kentucky Colonels. Say hello to Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, the greatest front-porch blues band in the world!

Reverend Peyton is recognized as one of the world’s foremost country blues finger-style pickers, playing the bass with his thumb while picking the lead at the same time. His prowess has been recognized with multiple Blues Music Awards nominations, including in 2021 for “Best Blues Rock Artist”, as well as being the cover subject for Vintage Guitar magazine. But the Big Damn Band isn’t just about the Reverend. Beside him on stage are his wife, “Washboard” Breezy Peyton, playing with all the nuance and percussive power of a New Orleans drum line, and keeping the train moving is Max Senteney on a lean drum kit that includes a 5-gallon maple syrup bucket. But one listen will convince you that there's nothing dusty or sentimental about Peyton's music. There's no songs about picking cotton. They aren't a museum piece. The Big Damn Band have taken nearly a century of country blues history and crafted a thing all their own. “I like songs that sound happy but are actually very sad,” Peyton says. “I don’t know why it is, but I just do.”

The Big Damn Band has built its reputation the long, slow, hard way. After 12 years of playing as many as 300 shows each year, in a total of 37 countries, the biggest little band in the country has pieced together one of the most dedicated followings out there. As audiences everywhere will tell you, there is not another band out there that sounds like this or has a stage show of this caliber. So get ready to celebrate, because that is what you will end up doing when Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band graces the Canan Commons stage!

The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is a non-profit partnership between Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, Muncie Arts and Culture Council, and Rick Zeigler, series founder and organizer. The mission of the series is to bring critically acclaimed, national recording artists to perform at Canan Commons, Muncie’s premier outdoor performance venue, located in the heart of Downtown Muncie. A second mission is to promote the many recreational, artistic, and cultural attractions located along, or in close proximity to, Canan Commons and Muncie’s popular “Three Trails” -- The White River Greenway, Cardinal Greenway, and Muncie Arts and Culture Trail. We hope attendees will heed our slogan, “Explore the Trails, Enjoy the Music!”

A BIG thank you to Ball State University for sponsoring the entire 2024 series! Complete information about the Muncie Three Trails Music Series can be found at our website here:

https://www.munciethreetrails.com

Our second FREE Concert of the 2024 Muncie Three Trails Music Series brings Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers to our Canan Commons stage in Downtown Muncie! We will welcome openers My Brother’s Keeper as well! Our concerts are FREE, held outdoors, and lawn chairs are welcome! Come early and come hungry for the local food/drink vendors!

The music of Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers is best described as authentic bluegrass, marked by consistently clean harmonies, Joe’s driving Scruggs-style banjo playing (he won SPGMA’s Banjo Player of the Year in 2023), and entertaining showmanship. Mullins has recorded over 22 albums and had eleven #1 songs, and has received over a dozen International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) and Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music Association (SPGMA) awards, including the 2019 award for IBMA Entertainer of the Year (with the Radio Ramblers), the highest award a band can earn within the genre.

Our 2024 Season is sponsored by Ball State University, thank you!

🎶 Explore The Trails, Enjoy The Music! 🎶

Learn more about the band here:

www.radioramblers.com

Learn more about the Muncie Three Trails Music Series here:

https://www.munciethreetrails.com

For our third show of our 2024 Season, we are very happy to announce the return of The Sensational Barnes Brothers to our stage at Canan Commons in Downtown Muncie! We know you will enjoy openers @Doc Peterson's Club Band as well! Our Muncie Three Trails Music Series concerts are FREE, held outdoors, and lawn chairs are welcome! Come early and come hungry for the local food/drink vendors!

The Sensational Barnes Brothers are a melting pot of the old and the new, effectively capturing the sound of Memphis during the heyday of Stax Records, the Bar-Kays, and Booker T. & the M.G.s, while also drawing modern-day gospel and soul sounds into the mix. Fueled by harmonies that resonate with both their blood ties and their kindred souls, this is a show you will not want to miss.

This show is sponsored by The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County, thank you!

Our 2024 Season is sponsored by Ball State University, thank you!

🎶 Explore The Trails, Enjoy The Music! 🎶

Learn more about the band here:

https://thesensationalbarnesbrothers.com

And learn more about the Muncie Three Trails Music Series here:

https://www.munciethreetrails.com

Gracing our Canan Commons stage in Downtown Muncie for our final show of our 2024 Season, we are excited to host Sybarite5! Don't miss returning MTTMS favorites Ball State University Jazz Ensembles opening up the show! Our Muncie Three Trails Music Series concerts are FREE, held outdoors, and lawn chairs are welcome! Come early and come hungry for the local food/drink vendors!

Comprised of Sami Merdinian and Sarah Whitney, violins; Angela Pickett, viola; Laura Metcalf, cello; and Louis Levitt, bass. Sybarite5 has taken audiences by storm all across the US, forever changing the perception of chamber music performance. Dubbed the “Millennial Kronos,” Sybarite5’s eclectic repertoire includes music with roots in classical, rock, jazz, hip-hop, Armenian folk, and the avant-garde. From Bowie to Radiohead, Coltrane to Piazzolla, Pete Seeger to the Punch Brothers, and Akiho to Komitas, their selections, when combined with their commanding performance style, are turning heads throughout the music world.

Our 2024 Season is sponsored by Ball State University, thank you!

🎶 Explore The Trails, Enjoy The Music! 🎶

Learn more about the band here:

www.sybarite5.org

And learn more about the Muncie Three Trails Music Series here:

https://www.munciethreetrails.com