The Music of Pat Benatar

Saturday, Apr. 29 | 8:00pm ET (7:00pm CT)

Pat Benatar is a four-time Grammy winner who remains a bold and distinctive artist. Benatar and her husband, guitarist Neil Giraldo, have collaborated in love, life and music for 40 years as one of rock’s most enduring couples. They have recorded 15 Billboard Top 40 singles, two multi-platinum albums and five platinum albums.

1979 debut album, In the Heat of the Night, served as Pat Benatar’s North American breakthrough with hits “Heartbreaker” and “We Live for Love” being standouts.

Born Patricia Andrzejewski in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Lindenhurst, Long Island, Pat started singing in elementary school and never stopped, working on her craft throughout her teens. In 1973, Benatar quit her job as a bank teller to pursue a singing career full time after being inspired by a concert she saw in Richmond, VA. She got a gig singing with a lounge band called Coxon’s Army, who soon became regulars at Sam Miller's Basement Club and fairly well known in and around Richmond. In 1975, just as Coxon’s Army was about to break, and against the advice of everyone involved, Benatar quit the band.She packed everything she owned into her car and headed back to NYC alone, with only $2,500 in her pocket. And she never looked back.

Pat Benatar is acknowledged as the leading female rock vocalist of the ‘80s – a feat marked by her unprecedented winning of four consecutive Grammy Awards between 1980 and 1983, as well as three American Music Awards – but Benatar and Giraldo remain a rock ‘n’ roll powerhouse today, selling out concerts and still wowing audiences after over three decades in music together. Theirs is a chemistry that will, undoubtedly, be thrilling music-lovers forever.

The Music of Pat Benatar features an all-star band made up of local musicians who’ve come together to celebrate and pay tribute to rock legends Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo. Our singers are joined by —

Simon Hurst — keyboards and guitar
Buddy Pearson — bass
Sonny Carreno — drums
Caitlin Faust — violin and background vocals
Rafael Chavez — lead guitar

Expect iconic tunes like Heartbreaker, Love Is a Battlefield, Shadows of the Night, Hit Me with Your Best Shot and so much more! Get up and dance and sing along to all your favorite songs!

About the Artists:

Natalie Gaza
Singer/Songwriter Natalie Gaza infuses powerful introspective lyrics with a unique folk/rock musical energy. Her multi-layered song structure and skilled guitar work deliver a memorable listener experience. Natalie has played a wide variety of venues including the beautiful Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso, Indiana, historic Roberts Hall in Lynn Haven, Florida and the iconic House of Blues in Chicago, Illinois. Her CD 'Constant Mercy' was included in John King's Top 15 Albums in NWI Entertainer Magazine with select tracks highlighted on WXRT in Chicago, IL, WLIP Guaranteed Raw Radio in Kenosha, WI and WVLP in Valparaiso, IN.

Nikki Gauthier
Nikki Gauthier came to music early in life taking piano lessons at her grandma’s side. While she loved to perform in her family’s living room, Nikki didn’t seek the spotlight, opting to play the piano instead for her high school’s choir. She didn’t embrace the stage until 2017, when, early in her forties, she performed at a local open mic. Nikki’s performance credits now include Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra’s RESPECT concert, Krasl Art Fair Block Party, The Livery, Box Factory for the Arts, Benton Harbor Art Hop and BHAA’s Arts in the Park series, along with our own Acorn stage.

Meredith George
Meredith George has been performing in and around the SWMI area for the past 9 years. Originally hailing from Annapolis, Maryland, Meredith moved here in 2013 with her husband, Jason and cat, Bones. After not performing for several years, she found her way back on stage through The Livery’s Open Stage in the Benton Harbor Arts District. Through this community of supportive artists and friends she found an outlet for her musical passions. You can see her in musical theater, rock and jazz tribute shows, but mainly performing in the local trio The Backups.

Abbie Thomas
Influenced by an eclectic blend, from The Beatles and Karen Carpenter, to Lauryn Hill and John Mayer, soulful singer songwriter Abbie Thomas mixes pop melodies with honest, life-inspired lyrics. Abbie got her start as a singer-songwriting finalist at The Acorn in June of 2019 where she earned a fan in judge and Grammy winner, Jim Peterik. Thomas is now building a resume as an opening act for nationally touring artists (ex. Girl Named Tom, Laine Hardy, Cathy Richardson of Jefferson Starship, to name a few), as well as booking festival slots with her full band.

Kyla Webb
Kyla Webb proudly hails from Northwest Indiana. She has been performing full time for the past few decades in everything from circus to theater to burlesque to cabaret. She's a singer and songwriter and front woman for the band Skirt, a ska fun rock band based out of Michigan City. Skirt can be found regularly performing around the area.

RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $25 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $25 Donation per ticket holder in your group.

Bruce in The USA

Sunday, Apr. 16 | 7:00pm ET (6:00pm CT)

“The World’s Greatest Tribute to Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band.” AXS TV

Much more than just another tribute... Bruce In The USA is a high-energy, note-perfect, and visually accurate musical experience of a Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band show.  Sell-out crowds are on their feet from the first song to the last.

About the Artist(s):

Bruce in the USA
Matt Ryan, from the World Famous “Legends In Concert” cast, began playing the Springsteen character in 2000, in Legends “full scale” Las Vegas show. The great success in the famous Las Vegas show brought him to performances across the world, eventually evolving his character into the Bruce In The USA show.

The Bruce In The USA Band consists of seasoned world-class professional musicians. The show has hosted musicians from such acts/bands as Queen/Paul Rogers, Meatloaf, Blue Oyster Cult, Hall and Oats, Joe Cocker, The Ojays, Aretha Franklin, David Cassidy, The Temptations, Slash... and so many more.

This high-end, powerhouse band has taken this genre of performance art to a whole new level, making it the World’s #1 Tribute to the E Street Band’s musical legacy.

To millions of die-hard fans around the world, it’s Springsteen’s marathon, party-like performances that have elevated him to hero status. Bruce’s legendary concerts (in the largest arenas) sell out within hours of their announced sale. For those even lucky enough to get a ticket, there was nothing that could fill the aching void in between Bruce’s long-awaited tours... until now!

The Bruce In The USA show was born on the Las Vegas Strip in the winter of 2004, with its debut at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, in the majestic “V Theatre.” The show assaulted the senses in a fun-filled and exciting party atmosphere on the Vegas Strip, while suspending disbelief for even the toughest skeptics. They’ve been met with critical acclaim, from the Stone Pony, large theaters, and Performance Art Centers across the country, as well as corporate events spanning across the globe for over a decade. Sell-out crowds are on their feet from the first song to the last.

Tickets go on sale Friday, November 25th at 7:00am ET.

RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $25 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $25 Donation per ticket holder in your group.

Bruce Katz Band with Resurrection Blues Band

Saturday, Apr. 15 | 8:00pm ET (7:00pm CT)

Bruce Katz and his band bring their Blues, “soul-jazz” and New Orleans-inspired roots music to The Acorn. Katz is a legendary keyboardist (Hammond B3 and Piano) who has released 11 albums as a leader and has appeared on over 75 other CDs with the likes of John Hammond, Delbert McClinton, Ronnie Earl, Little Milton, Butch Trucks, Duke Robillard, David "Fathead" Newman, and many, many others. He has also had a strong musical connection with the Allman Brothers Band, and was a member of Gregg Allman's band for six years (2007-2013), Jamoe's Jasssz Band (2010-2015), Butch Trucks' Freight Train Band and Les Brers (2015-2017). Bruce also occasionally toured with the Allman Brothers as well.

About the Artists

Bruce Katz is a seven-time BMA nominee (2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021) for the “Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year” award, which is the equivalent of the “Blues Grammys”. He was also nominated by Living Blues Magazine for “Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)” award in 2015 and 2019. He won the 2019 BMA for “Best Acoustic Album” for “Journeys to the Heart of the Blues”, recorded with Joe Louis Walker and Giles Robson and was nominated for “Acoustic Album” award for “Solo Ride”, his solo piano CD.

He is a unique player and composer who combines Blues and American Roots music with elements of jazz, and improvisational rock music that creates a signature sound that is all his own.

The Bruce Katz Band is an original, very exciting group of musicians that combine Blues, “soul-jazz” and New Orleans inspired roots music. Based in Woodstock, NY, Bruce Katz occupies a unique space where blues and the many aspects of Americana music collide into a style of original music all his own. The band has a trademark sound, blending the B3 organ and guitar in unique and inventive ways.

New members Aaron Lieberman (God Street Wine) on guitar and vocals and Liviu Pop (Lucky Peterson) on drums have added a new dimension and spark to the band.

Tickets go on sale Friday, November 25th at 7:00am ET.

RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $25 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $25 Donation per ticket holder in your group.

The Arcadian Wild

Friday, Apr. 14 | 8:00pm ET (7:00pm CT)

The Arcadian Wild is a four-piece indie folk/pop group from Nashville, TN. Led by songwriters Isaac Horn and Lincoln Mick, with Bailey Warren on fiddle; The Arcadian Wild confidently inhabits and explores an intersection of genre, blending the traditional with the contemporary. Combining elements of progressive bluegrass, folk, and formal vocal music, The Arcadian Wild offer up songs of invitation; calls to come and see, to find refuge and rest, to journey and wonder, to laugh and cry, to share joy and community and sing along.

RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $25 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $25 Donation per ticket holder in your group.

Both Sides of Joni: Celebrating Joni Mitchell

Friday, Apr. 07 | 8:00pm ET (7:00pm CT)

The Acorn presents Both Sides of Joni, featuring new jazz arrangements and interpretations of Joni Mitchell's timeless words and melodies.

Join international recording artists Monika Herzig and Alexis Cole with their Quintet for an evening of reimagined jazz arrangements of Joni Mitchell's timeless classics. Both Sides of Joni takes a deep look at social reflections through the lens of the art form jazz.

About the Artist:

Currently Professor for Artistic Research at the Jam Music Lab Private University in Vienna, Dr. Monika Herzig is the author of “David Baker – A Legacy in Music” (IU Press), Experiencing Chick Corea: A Listener’s Companion (Rowman and Littlefield, 2017), and co-editor of Jazz and Gender (Routledge, 2022). She is also the chair of the research committee for the Jazz Education Network and editor of JAZZ (Jazz Education in Research and Practice, IU Press).

As a jazz pianist she has toured the world, opened for acts such as Power of Tower, Sting, Yes and her music has won DownBeat Magazine Awards and is featured on NPR and JazzWeek. Her all female Supergroup Sheroes was voted as one of the best groups of 2018 by DownBeat Magazine and her composition “Just Another Day at the Office” is one of the selections in New Standards: 101 Lead Sheets by Female Composers (Berklee Press, 2022). Herzig’s awards include a 1994 DownBeat Magazine Award for Best Original Song, a Jazz Journalist Association Hero 2015 award, as well as grants from the NEA, the Indiana Arts Commission, MEIEA, Jazz Tours, the US Embassy among others. Monika is a CASIO Artist.

A dozen albums into her career, vocalist Alexis Cole is hitting her stride. As a sought after international performer, she’s appeared with her trio, with whom she both plays piano and sings, and is a frequent guest with big bands and pops orchestras. She’s the director of the Jazz Vocal program at SUNY Purchase College and William Paterson University, and the founder and director of the online educational community JazzVoice.com, and the cofounder and artistic director of the Virginia Beach Vocal Jazz Summit. Her latest album Sky Blossom: Songs from My Tour of Duty was released on Zoho in Nov 2021 and features a 20 piece big band.

About the origin of Both Sides of Joni:

Both Sides of Joni Project was the product of a period of soul searching during the Covid Summer of 2020. Janiece Jaffe started listening closely to Joni Mitchell's music and lyrics with her jazz vocalist ears and found truth and wisdom that inspired her and that she wanted to share with the world to inspire others. She studied the words more deeply and got the urge to re-imagine them in Jazz arrangements. "I could almost 'Hear' them!"

Together with friend and collaborator pianist/arranger Monika Herzig, they spent many summer days of 2020 in the barn with keyboard and masks working out arrangements and rediscovering Joni's music. In March 2021, the arrangements were premiered at the Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis to a most enthusiastic response. Many audience members came together for the first time in over a year and the messages of overcoming challenges, endurance, rebellion, love, and regret rang deep. The music was recorded with a stellar group of musicians with a release date of March 2023.

Janiece sadly left this world in November 2022, leaving her friend Monika to continue sharing their project and music. Monika is joined by New York jazz vocalist Alexis cole.

RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $25 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $25 Donation per ticket holder in your group.

The Furious Bongos

Saturday, Apr. 01 | 8:00pm ET (7:00pm CT)

The Furious Bongos bring their unique take on Frank Zappa's music back to The Acorn for an evening of humor, biting satire, and over-the-top musicality.

Tickets go on sale Friday, November 25th at 7:00am ET.

RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $25 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $25 Donation per ticket holder in your group.

Beth Nielsen Chapman w/ Kellie Lin Knott

Friday, Mar. 31 | 8:00pm ET (7:00pm CT)

Singer-songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman returns to The Acorn. Beth’s latest album, produced by Ray Kennedy, “CrazyTown” will be internationally on Cooking Vinyl.

About the Artists:

Beth Nielsen Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, whose diverse body of work spans fifteen albums and seven #1 hits, including compositions that have been recorded by Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, Bette Midler, Willie Nelson, Neil Diamond, the Indigo Girls, and Keb Mo’ and her music has been featured in film and TV. This Kiss, ASCAP'S 1999 Song Of The Year, sung by Faith Hill, garnered her a Grammy nomination. Also nominated for a Grammy in 2012 for The Mighty Sky , she was Nashville NAMMY'S 1999 Songwriter of the Year and inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall Of Fame in 2016. Having lost her first husband to cancer in 1994, Chapman survived breast cancer herself in 2000 and a brain tumor in 2009 so in her concerts, workshops and Keynotes, she draws from direct experience in her inspiring presentations about the fascinating dance between cognition, healing and the creative flow. Her songs take you on a journey through the depth, humor and the wonder of life.

Tickets go on sale Friday, November 25th at 7:00am ET.

RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $25 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $25 Donation per ticket holder in your group.

Tommy Castro & The Painkillers

Wednesday, Mar. 29 | 7:00pm ET (6:00pm CT)

Throughout his long, constantly evolving career, guitarist, singer and songwriter Tommy Castro has always remained true to himself while exploring, growing and creating new music. “The hardest thing to do,” says internationally beloved soul-blues rocker Tommy Castro, “is be yourself, take some chances and bring your fans along with you.”

About the Artist

Since his solo debut in 1994, Tommy Castro’s made 16 albums— the last seven for Alligator—each its own unique chapter in the book of Tommy Castro. Ranging from horn-fueled R&B to piping hot blues to fiery, stripped- down rock ‘n’ roll, each release is solidly built upon Castro’s unshakable musical foundation—a dynamic mix of 1960s-influenced guitar-fueled blues, testifying Memphis-soaked blue-eyed soul and Latin-tinged East San Jose funk, all driven by Castro’s grab-you-by- the-collar vocals and passionate guitar work. Blues Revue declared, “Tommy Castro can do no wrong.”

For Castro’s new album, a roots music odyssey entitled Tommy Castro Presents A Bluesman Came To Town, he tells a timeless story. This special project was composed by Castro along with Grammy Award- winning producer Tom Hambridge. Through its 13 songs, A Bluesman Came To Town tells the tale of a young man working on his family farm who gets bitten by the blues bug. He masters the guitar and heads out on the road seeking fame and fortune, only to find what he’s left behind is the treasure he’s been looking for. Each memorable song—from the blistering title track to the pleading Child Don’t Go to the hopeful I Caught A Break to the emotional Blues Prisoner—stands on its own, as well as contributing to the larger story.

“I like to keep things fresh and interesting,” says Castro, “Tom and I have talked about making a record together for a long time. Collaborating with him was even better than I imagined. I had an outline for the story and then Tom and I talked it out and the songs just started to organically grow out of each other.” Castro continues, “A Bluesman Came To Town isn’t a story about me. It’s pulled from some of my friends’ and my experiences though. I’ve seen first-hand for a lot of years what it’s like out there on the road.”

The road has always been Castro’s home away from home. He’ll instantly ignite a crowd, turn them into loyal fans and then keep those fans coming back for more. He has traveled hundreds of thousands of miles and performed thousands of gigs, leading his bands at clubs, concert halls, and festivals all over the world. Famed guitarist Joe Bonamassa says, “Tommy has always been top of the heap among blues guitar players. He always puts on a great show.” Born in San Jose, California in 1955, Tommy Castro first picked up a guitar at age 10. He fell under the spell of Elvin Bishop, Taj Mahal, Mike Bloomfield and other blues artists of the day. Almost every major rock and soul act, from Ike and Tina Turner to Janis Joplin to the J. Geils Band to Tower Of Power, toured through the area, and Castro was at every show. He saw John Lee Hooker, Albert King, and Buddy Guy and Junior Wells at the same local blues bar, JJ’s, where he often jammed, dreaming of one day busting out. Mixing the blues and rock and roll he loved and the soul music he heard blasting from lowriders in his neighborhood Tommy started to create his own personal sound and style. He honed his guitar skills and intense, gritty vocals, learning how to capture an audience as he performed on San Francisco’s highly competitive club scene. As his reputation spread, Tommy played in a variety of Bay Area bands, soon making a name for himself as a hotter-than-hot live artist bursting at the seams with talent. In 1985, he was recruited to become lead singer and guitarist for the regionally popular blues band NiteCry, gigging regularly throughout Northern California. Castro joined Warner Brothers’ artists The Dynatones in the late 1980s, performing all over the country. He formed the first Tommy Castro Band in 1992 and has not stopped touring since. In 1995, soon after releasing his first album on Blind Pig Records, The Tommy Castro Band was selected as the house band for three seasons on NBC Television’s Comedy Showcase (airing right after Saturday Night Live). The show brought him in front of millions of viewers every week and cemented his reputation as a not-to-be-missed, nationally touring live performer.

After a series of successful releases on the Blind Pig, Telarc and 33rd Street labels, Tommy Castro joined Alligator Records in 2009. His label debut, Hard Believer, was released to massive popular and critical acclaim. With the album, Castro won four of his six career Blues Music Awards, including the coveted B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year Award (the very highest award a blues performer can receive). In 2012, Castro stripped his music down to its raw essence, creating a high-energy, larger-than-life sound with the formation of The Painkillers. Tommy Castro & The Painkillers’ initial release, The Devil You Know, was embraced by his legion of fans and discovered by hordes of new ones. With the current version of The Painkillers (bassist Randy McDonald, drummer Bowen Brown and keyboardist Michael Emerson), Castro released Method To My Madness in 2015, Stompin’ Ground in 2017, and the irresistible Killin’ It–Live in 2019, with critics shouting praise and admirers cheering the group’s every move. The band has 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, delivering soul-shaking, muscular music.

Castro’s relentless road-dog approach—gig after gig, night after night—has won him loyal, lifelong fans everywhere he plays. The Washington Post says Castro is “phenomenal and funky” with “soulful vocals and inspired blues guitar.” 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 train...a glorious blend that rocks the soul and lifts the spirits.”

Upon release of A Bluesman Came To Town, Castro will hit the road with The Painkillers, performing fan favorites as well as songs from the new album. “I’ve made seven albums for Alligator,” Castro says, “and I’ve never made the same record twice. I will always try to be my most authentic self. I give it all I’ve got every time we hit the stage!”

2022 BLUES MUSIC AWARD WINNER

• B.B. King Entertainer of the Year - Tommy Castro
  (won previously in 2010 and 2008)
• Album of the Year - Tommy Castro,
  Tommy Castro Presents A Bluesman Came to Town
• Band of the Year - Tommy Castro and The Painkillers

RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $25 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $25 Donation per ticket holder in your group.

Letters From Home: The 50 States Tour

Saturday, Mar. 18 | 7:00pm ET (6:00pm CT)

As the official Michigan stop of their 50-States Tour, Letters From Home will bring back the style of the USO with a high-energy performance featuring Erinn Dearth and Dan Beckmann!

This duo has performed over 900 shows across the United States for veterans and their families, and performed at the 75th Anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France. The show is filled with singing, tap dancing, knee-slapping jokes and audience interaction that make up a spectacular performance geared towards uniting the nation through music.

RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $25 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $25 Donation per ticket holder in your group.

Billy Elton

Saturday, Mar. 11 | 8:00pm ET (7:00pm CT)

Billy Elton features pianist and vocalist Reid Spears leading an 8-piece band, performing all of the legendary songs of Billy Joel and Elton John. The band is dedicated to top-notch musicianship, and performs a completely live show with no backing tracks. With timeless music that appeals to all generations, every Billy Elton show is engaging, exciting, and entertaining to all!

Tickets go on sale Friday, November 25th at 7:00am ET.

RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $25 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $25 Donation per ticket holder in your group.