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| | Robin Spielberg
Saturday, October 11
7:30 p.m.
Kent-Meridian Performing Arts Center
Tickets: $30 general, $28 senior, $20 youth
Robin Spielberg performs enchanting pieces for solo piano from her vast repertoire of popular American melodies and original favorites. Known around the globe for her expressive style and concert rapport, Robin’s career at the piano has taken her from coast to coast. She has performed on PBS and CBS TV, as well as in Carnegie Hall.
Now in her fourth decade of creating music and touring, Spielberg has had a long and storied career as a pianist, composer, recording artist, entrepreneur, speaking, writer, music therapy advocate, and educator. She has been hailed as one of America’s most popular contemporary female pianists/composers and one of the most expressive pianists of our time. Spielberg has released 24 studio recordings and has millions of listeners on streaming platforms. | Buy Tickets |
| | Uptown: A Celebration of Motown and Soul
Friday, October 24
7:30 p.m.
Kentwood Performing Arts Center
Tickets: $35 general, $32 senior, $25 youth
Sponsored by Kent Community Foundation Performing Arts Fund
Fusing Bruno-Mars-caliber stage presence with top-tier vocals and wall-to-wall choreography, the men of Uptown combine the smooth stylings of R&B with the fresh hits of today in a unique and modern show that gets every crowd on their feet!
Born in New York City (the epicenter of contemporary pop and soul music), the group exudes unparalleled energy with their blend of contemporary radio hits and classic Motown music. Every single member of Uptown is a world-class soloist, with frequent comparisons to the artistry of icons like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. When they come together as one collective, the resulting remix creates an electrifying show. | Buy Tickets |
| | Magical Strings 39th Annual Celtic Yuletide Concert
Sunday, December 7
3:00 p.m.
Kent-Meridian Performing Arts Center
Tickets: $30 general, $28 senior, $20 youth
The Boulding Family’s musical celebration of the holiday season is a treasured tradition in Kent. Once again, Pam and Philip Boulding are joined by their children, grandchildren, and guests for an afternoon of enchanting Yuletide music. The Bouldings perform on Celtic harps, hammered dulcimers, whistles, strings, percussion, and harp-like instruments from around the world. Guests add Irish step dancing, drumming, and storytelling for a festive and memorable performance. | Buy Tickets |
| | International Guitar Night – The World on a String
Friday, January 30
7:30 p.m.
Kent-Meridian Performing Arts Center
Tickets: $35 general, $32 senior, $22 youth
Sponsored by Kent Community Foundation Performing Arts Fund
International Guitar Night, North America’s longest running mobile guitar festival, is celebrating its 26th Anniversary. As always, the show will bring together the world’s foremost acoustic guitarists to perform their latest original compositions and exchange musical ideas in a public concert setting. IGN founder Brian Gore has, once again, assembled a new cast of guitar luminaries to come together for a special evening of solos, duets and quartets that highlight the virtuosity and diversity within the world of acoustic guitar.
Classical virtuoso Stephanie Jones (Australia) is heading an all-star lineup with three newcomers, including Brazilian sensation Lucan Imbiriba, Russian fingerstyle innovator Alexandr Misko, and IGN’s first ukulele maestro, Taimane from Hawaii. | Buy Tickets |
| | Gadan
Thursday, February 12
7:30 p.m.
Kent-Meridian Performing Arts Center
Tickets: $32 general, $30 senior $22 youth
Gadan is a storming new band blending the drive of Irish Traditional Music and Celtgrass with the soul of folk and Appalachian music… all spiced with unmistakable Italian seasoning!
Gadan is a fresh project created by four seasoned musicians from the Irish trad and European folk/rock scene, all with years of experience performing at major traditional and alternative folk music festivals across Europe and the US. In 2024, they were joined by Enda Scahill, a tenor banjo master, award-winner, All-Ireland champion, and founder of We Banjo 3.
Their high-energy repertoire has a powerful live appeal, reminiscent of new-trad acts, but with a unique identity. With three banjos—tenor and clawhammer—fiddle, mandolin, and guitar, they create a distinctive “strings-only” sound, enhanced by subtle electronics and driven by a powerful rhythmic pulse.
| Buy Tickets |
| | Women of Americana – A Celebration of American Music from Bob Dylan to Bonnie Raitt
Friday, February 27
7:30 p.m.
Kent-Meridian Performing Arts Center
Tickets: $35 general, $32 senior, $25 youth
Sponsored by the Curran Family and Kent Community Foundation Performing Arts Fund
Early folk, gospel, and Western swing musicians laid the groundwork for Americana, extending back to the founding mothers and fathers of country music, including Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie, and the Carter Family. From the mid-20th century through the present day, more singer-songwriter luminaries followed: Bob Dylan, The Band, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, Rosanne Cash, Emmylou Harris, and Brandi Carlile.
A Celebration of American Music from Bob Dylan to Bonnie Raitt brings together some of today’s most accomplished and expressive female artists for an exuberant exploration of this expansive and singular American genre. Featured vocalists and instrumentalists, Cristina Vane and Brennen Leigh, will interpret iconic songs, including “This Land is Your Land” (Woody Guthrie), “This Train” (Sister Rosetta Tharpe), “Just Like a Woman” (Bob Dylan), “Angel From Montgomery” (Bonnie Raitt and John Prine), and “Car Wheels On a Gravel Road” (Lucinda Williams).
Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding, Women of Americana will entertain and inspire audiences at a historic moment in our nation’s history. | Buy Tickets |
| | Yesterday and Today: The Interactive Beatles
Friday, March 6
7:30 p.m.
Kent-Meridian Performing Arts Center
Tickets: $35 general, $32 senior, $25 youth
Sponsored by Judy Woods and the Haffner Family
This amazing band, anchored by brothers Billy, Matthew, and Ryan McGuigan perform as themselves and leave the song choices completely in the hands of the audience. Audience members fill out request cards prior to the show, offering only three pieces of information: Their name, their favorite Beatles song, and the reason why they chose that song.
The cards are collected and minutes before the show beings, a set list is created based upon the songs chosen by that particular audience. As an added treat, the audience members’ reasons for choosing the songs make up the narrative of the evening.
Every show is different, every show is interactive, and every show proves that The Beatles’ music truly is the soundtrack to our lives.
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