Michael Cleveland Flamekeeper
From an early age, Michael 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. Cleveland began playing professionally after he graduated from high school, first with Jeff White, later with Dale Ann Bradley and Rhonda Vincent. However, Cleveland had always dreamed of leading his own band and in 2006, he formed Flamekeeper, seven-time recipients of the IBMA’s “Instrumental Group of the Year” award, including 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: Bela Fleck, Tommy Emmanuel, Billy Strings, Vince Gill, and more. Widely considered the bluegrass fiddler of his generation, Cleveland has been recognized 12 times as the IBMA’s Fiddle Player of the Year and in 2018 was inducted into the National Fiddlers Hall of Fame. His recording Fiddlers Dream was nominated in 2018 for a GRAMMY for Best Bluegrass Album, and in 2019, he won a GRAMMY for his album Tall Fiddler. The same year, Cleveland’s amazing life of adversity and achievement was featured in the documentary film Flamekeeper: The Michael Cleveland Story. And in 2022, he was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship.
Hard Days Night
Hard Day’s Night is a top rated touring Beatles tribute band. Hailing from the rock & roll city of Cleveland, Ohio, they have been entertaining the masses in America and abroad since 1996. The band has been wowing audiences for years, with their full catalogue performances, wearing stitch-for-stitch costume replications; playing authentic Vox, Hofner, Gretsch, Rickenbacker, and Ludwig instruments, all while playing the songs we know and love with staggering precision. One of the very few tribute to recreate the three phases of The Beatles!
Harvest – Ultimate Neil Young Tribute
Harvest celebrates the timeless songwriting, electric jams and acoustic artistry of classic-era Neil Young. The band performs 2 long sets of classic Neil Young, from the dynamic vocal harmony and harmonica-driven acoustic stunners to the sizzling extended electric jams & stompers – covering Neil’s career from Buffalo Springfield, CSNY, solo and with Crazy Horse, thru to Harvest Moon.Since 1987, founders Jim Tigue & Eroc Sosinski have been performing Neil Young music for fans all across the Midwest, in the bands Harvest and Tie-Dye Harvest and as the Jim & Eroc Duo, and formed the popular Pink Floyd tribute Wish You Were Here. Members Peter Telari (also of WYWH), Keith Chelm & Tim Hamman are also veteran NEOhio musicians.For 3 years in a row since 2022, Jim & Eroc have been chosen to perform as part of the official May 4th Commemoration Ceremony at Kent State University. In 2022 Harvest also performed as part of the Kent State Music Festival, an on-campus Commemoration Week event leading up to May 4th ceremony. The band is honored to be commemorating the Neil Young/CSNY/“Ohio” connection at the venerable Kent Stage this coming May 4th weekend. .
An Evening with Tinsley Ellis
Tinsley Ellis According to Atlanta-based blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Tinsley Ellis, his new, first-ever solo acoustic album, Naked Truth, is both “a departure and an arrival.” Ellis has been recording and travelling the world for over four decades, delivering his feral, guitar-fueled, original electric blues-rock to ever-growing audiences at concert halls, festivals, and clubs. Naked Truth is steeped in the folk blues traditions of Muddy Waters, Skip James, Son House, Robert Johnson and even Leo Kottke. To the casual fan, this might seem to be a new direction, but for Ellis, it’s an extension of his music, as he taps into the raw essence of the blues. “This is a record I’ve always wanted to make, and one that my longtime fans have been asking for,” he says, noting he’s included an acoustic mini-set in his concert performances for years. In the last 12 months, Ellis has already performed over 100 solo shows, many as co-bills with his Alligator label-mate Marcia Ball. “I’m having so much fun playing these shows,” he says.On Naked Truth, Ellis swaps his blistering, guitar-fueled full band workouts for equally passionate, soul-searching acoustic folk blues. His famed guitar chops and musical creativity are on full display throughout the album’s 12 songs, including nine newly written originals. The album was recorded live in the studio using Ellis’ beloved 1969 Martin D-35 (a gift from his father) and his 1937 National Steel O Series guitars. Whether intricately fingerpicking the Martin or playing hair-raising slide on the National Steel, Ellis delivers each song with unvarnished intimacy.Tinsley Ellis has been immersed in music his whole life. Born in Atlanta 1957 and raised in southern Florida, he acquired his first guitar at age seven, inspired by seeing The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show. He took to guitar instantly, developing and sharpening his skills as he grew up. Like many kids his age, Ellis discovered the blues through the back door of British Invasion bands like The Yardbirds, The Animals, Cream and The Rolling Stones as well as Southern rockers like The Allman Brothers. One afternoon after high school in 1972, he and a friend were listening to Al Kooper and Michael Bloomfield’s Super Session record when his friend’s older brother told them that, if they liked Super Session, they should go see B.B. King, who was in town that week. Tinsley saw that show from the very front row. Tinsley Ellis has brought his music to fans live in person to all 50 United States, as well as in Canada, across Europe, Australia and South America. He’s earned the love and respect of many of his fellow musicians, having shared stages with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, The Allman Brothers, Warren Haynes, Oliver Wood, Buddy Guy, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, and more. Over the years, legends including Otis Rush, James Cotton, Gregg Allman, Jimmy Buffett, Son Seals, Koko Taylor and Albert Collins invited Ellis to join them on stage. Mega-star guitarist Joe Bonamassa calls Ellis “a national treasure.” Now, with Naked Truth, Ellis will bring his music directly to his fans. “Two guitars and a car,” he says of the simplicity of his North American touring situation. “When folks come to see me, I’ll have the guitars I used on the record with me, so what fans hear on the album is what they’ll get live. It’s not easy. Now I’m the whole band and there’s nowhere to hide. It’s scary every single time I go up on stage alone. But nothing could be more honest.”
Donnie Iris & The Cruisers
The King of Cool is Back Donnie Iris & The Cruisers with Special Guest drummers;Joe Vitale and Joe Vitale Jr. Donnie Iris Donnie Iris found his early successes while performing with The Jaggerz ” The Rapper” and Wild Cherry. While with Wild Cherry in the late 70’s Donnie Iris found his identity as such, after performing under his birth name Dominic Lerace for the earlier part of his career. Struggling to build off the success of “Play that Funky Music”, Wild Cherry would break up in 1979. Nevertheless, Iris had already sunk his teeth into another project with fellow bandmate Mark Avsec. Their first release saw the disco-influenced single “Bring on the Eighties” in 1979; however, it failed to garner attention. Iris and Avsec decided to go in a harder direction for their next release and returned to the studio with guitarist Marty Lee, bassist Albritton McClain and drummer Kevin Valentine, who were in the band Breathless with Avsec, to record his first album. This line-up would form what would become – Donnie Iris and the Cruisers. They released the first album in July of 1980, “Back on The Streets” through Midwest Records based out of Cleveland, Ohio. Thanks to the track “Ah! Leah!” receiving airplay in Boston, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh, MCA Records signed Iris to a five-album deal then re-releasing the album nationally. Since then, Donnie Iris & The Cruisers have gone through line-up changes including current bassist, Paul Goll. They continue on – releasing eleven studio albums, two live albums, two compilation albums. and continue to tour throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio. Joe Vitale Born in Canton, Ohio, Vitale is a veteran musician and drummer whose career has spanned over 55 years of touring, recording, song writing, and producing with legendary and Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame artists. Along with vocals, he also plays percussion, keyboards and flute. A dedicated professional, his quality of performance is evident in his resume. He has recorded and toured with Buffalo Springfield, Ted Nugent, Joe Walsh, Dan Fogelberg, Peter Frampton, The Eagles, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and CSNY to name a few. In addition, he recorded with Rick Derringer, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, Ronnie Wood, Van Morrison, Carl Wilson, Don Felder, Boz Scaggs, John Entwhistle and many others. Joe Vitale Jr. Music is in his blood – literally. This multi-instrumentalist is the son of Joe Vitale, and spent his early years cutting his teeth on the road with Joe Walsh, The Stephen Stills Blues Band, and Crosby, Stills and Nash. The revolution is expanding… His award-winning, self-directed video for “Never Look Back” has over 300-thousand YouTube views and Joe’s band Ravenwood performs on a regular basis
JD Simo & Luther Dickinson – Do The Rump Tour
JD Simo & Luther Dickinson – Do The Rump Tour! When JD Simo and Luther Dickinson hit the stage with drummer Adam Abrashoff, it’s not just a show; it’s a greasy, groove-soaked resurrection of Hill Country blues. The trio is a rare convergence of three masters pushing roots music into the now. Their 2024 album Do The Rump! debuted to rave reviews, with No Depression calling it “a swamp stomper’s paradise” and Americana Highways praising their “fearless climb into new mountains of sound.” Their single “Come On” topped SiriusXM’s Bluesville chart, proving their sound resonates far beyond tradition. The trio’s much anticipated second record is forthcoming. Luther Dickinson, four-time Grammy nominee and co-founder of the North Mississippi Allstars, brings deep Southern lineage and slide-drenched soul. JD Simo adds his signature fusion of psych-blues and virtuosity, with credits ranging from Phil Lesh to Beyoncé. Adam Abrashoff’s deep-pocket drumming fuses it all with electrified momentum. This trio only performs a handful of select dates each year. Each one is a high-octane celebration of improvisation, soul, and swampy swagger -a modern blues experience like no other.
Rumpke Mountain Boys & Duprees Dead Band
THE RUMPKE MOUNTAIN BOYS offer an unparalleled musical journey filled with emotional vocals, impressive command of various string instruments, and captivating special effects. This energetic quartet takes a unique approach to their performance, relying on the energy of the crowd and intuitive improvisational flow to guide their music in real time. David Gans, host of the Grateful Dead Hour, praises the honesty and authenticity of the Rumpke Mountain Boys, who, much like Donna the Buffalo and the Grateful Dead, don’t rely on setlists or rehearsals. The four members write their own songs, drawing inspiration from a diverse range of sources. In this way, they constantly expand their musical abilities. This talented band has made a name for themselves with electrifying performances at festivals across the country, such as the Northwest String Summit and the John Hartford Memorial Festival. They have collaborated with various renowned artists, including Leftover Salmon, Del McCoury, Yonder Mountain String Band, and Ralph Stanley. With an ever-growing fan base, the Rumpke Mountain Boys show no signs of slowing down.
Soul Asylum Acoustic
Grammy award-winning and multi-platinum selling rock band SOUL ASYLUM started as Minneapolis’ punk younger brothers to the Replacements and Husker Dü. Their 1992 breakthrough album Grave Dancers Union featured the international hits “Runaway Train”, “Black Gold” and “ Somebody to Shove”. “Runaway Train” won a Grammy, and its groundbreaking music video brought nearly two dozen missing and exploited children and teens around the world home to their families. SOUL ASYLUM has released 13 original albums – including their most recent, 2024’s Slowly But Shirley – with multiple live albums and assorted Greatest Hits collections. Their famous 1993 MTV Unplugged performance was released for the first time on vinyl as a coveted Record Store Day exclusive, and November 2025 also saw the 30-year-anniversary reissue of their Let Your Dim Light Shine album. This upcoming show offers a rare opportunity to see SOUL ASYLUM’s Dave Pirner and Ryan Smith perform an intimate, one-of-a-kind acoustic set.
Carbon Leaf
For Carbon Leaf, we have instituted a new hybrid seating arrangement. – A combination of Reserve and GA ticket options. There are 200 GA tickets available. The GA section is in front of the Stage with a five row separation between the reserved seats Reserved seats start at row H. This way, those who want to dance can and if you want a reserve seat, you can still get one and see the band without someone being right in front of you! Carbon Leaf’s fifteenth studio album, Time is the Playground is both a call to action and an embrace of the moment. Marrying nostalgic storytelling to nuanced, folk-infused indie rock, the Richmond, Virginia band embroiders heartfelt melody and harmony with acoustic and electric instrumentation to create a 12-song rumination on time, love and personal growth that’s equal parts urgent epiphany and contented exhalation. Originally formed as a college cover band in 1992 and with over 3,500 famously enthused liveshows together, Carbon Leaf helped to define the aughts indie rock that they ultimately outgrew and outlasted. They first earned national recognition with “The Boxer,” a song that won the American Music Awards 2002 New Music Award and made Carbon Leaf the first unsigned band to perform before millions on the AMAs After a trio of charting albums for Vanguard Records, multiple songwriting awards and headlining shows, Carbon Leaf opted to return to the complete creative control of their indie roots. Guitarist Terry Clark, who co-founded the band with Privett and multi-instrumentalist Carter Gravatt, converted his garage into the band’s Two-Car Studio, where they’ve recorded releases for their own Constant Ivy imprint ever since. Carbon Leaf’s DIY spirit even extended to re-recording their three Vanguard albums in order to regain the rights. Due in September, Time is the Playgrounds Carbon Leaf’s first full-length album in a decade, during which they released two EPS and a 27-song live performance album and Blu-ray. Time is the Playground gathers the best of songs written, in fits and starts, over 15 years, alongside brand-new ideas. Privett dusted off old demos and shut himself away for months to finish their stories, while also honing recent compositions. With Clark engineering, Carbon Leaf – completed by longtime bassist Jon Markel and drummer Jesse Humphrey – spent a year and a half recording and mixing the resulting songs Masterfully melding saturated AC/DC guitar and squelchy Cars synth, “Backmask 1983” is a funflipbook of evocative era emblems – Farah Fawcett, “Satanic Panic,” Time Life Books, Bigfoot and more – that traverses the simultaneous nexus of Privett’s childhood/adolescence and the world’s analog/digital ages. It’s about morphing into a new person and a new planet with wide-eyed wonder and a longing to believe. “Without a whole lot of information, the mystery of things felt so heightened,” recalled Privett of growing up pre-Internet. “I wanted to capture some of that but also have fun with it.”“I want what we create to resonate with ourselves, to the level that we want to play it for a longtime to come, and where we want others to hear it and experience it,” Privett concluded.“Hopefully, listeners can glean the pieces from it that they identify with.
Jim Messina
An undisputed expert in the fine art of making hit music, JIM MESSINA’s legacy of musical genius spans five decades, three super groups, a vibrant solo career and scores of producing and engineering credits. While acting as producer/audio engineer for Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Buffalo Springfield, Messina ultimately joined the band as its bass player. When “the Springfield” disbanded in 1968, Jim and fellow bandmate Richie Furay formed Poco. With Jim on lead guitar, Poco defined a new musical genre, Country Rock. After three successful albums, Jim was ready for a change and left to return to his passion for producing music. He signed as an independent producer with Columbia Records. In November 1970, Columbia asked Jim to work with an unknown Kenny Loggins. While helping Kenny get ready for a record and touring, the two discovered that they worked well together and Jim agreed to sit in on Kenny’s first album. Kenny Loggins with Jim Messina Sittin’ In was released in November of 1971 and an accidental duo was formed. Over the next seven years, Loggins & Messina released eight hit albums, had scores of hit songs and sold over 16 million albums. They had become one of rock’s most successful recording duos ever, but it was time for the duo to go their separate ways. After a series of celebrated solo acoustic tours, Jim formed a band made of acclaimed musicians who have played with him at various points in his career. With his new band, The Road Runners, Jim released his latest live album Here, There & Everywhere. Touring the country and playing sold-out shows, Jim says that he’s enjoying discovering who he is, where he’s been and, most significantly, where he’s going.