Jackie Venson

Friday, May. 23 | 8:00pm ET (7:00pm CT)

Jackie Venson returns to The Acorn! Heralded as one of “Austin’s rising stars” by Rolling Stone and “an Austin legend in the making” by Forbes, Jackie Venson has established herself as one of the most commanding performers to come out of Texas.

About the Artist:

An Austin native, Jackie Venson has shared the stage with icons like Gary Clark Jr and Melissa Etheridge and even performed with Alanis Morissette and Lainey Wilson at the 2023 CMT Awards and in 2024 Venson was selected to perform as part of Rolling Stone’s Future of Music showcase at SXSW.

Venson’s breakthrough album Joy received critical acclaim upon its release in 2019, and while the pandemic stood in the way of touring plans for the next year, Venson nonetheless found new levels of fame with her livestreaming presence throughout 2020, which led to her landing the #9 position on Pollstar’s Top 50 Livestreamers list for the year and a booking on the legendary Austin City Limits.

In 2021 Venson collaborated with renowned producer Tim Palmer (Pearl Jam, U2) on Love Transcends, a love letter to Texas blues rock in all its forms. Venson followed that up with Evolution of Joy, a reimagining of Joy that was created with help of producer Frenchie Smith (Toadies, Jet), and the duo teamed up again for 2023’s Ghost in the Machine, an electro funk, jazz-infused guitar pop album that updates 2020’s Vintage Machine. Venson’s next album, The Love Anthology, comes out in January 2025 to coincide with her third annual January residency at the iconic Austin venue Antone’s.

“...one of the most singular talents of her generation” - Guitar.com, “one of the 10 Young Bluesbreakers Making the Blues Fun Again”

“...commands audiences with her face-melting guitar chops and distinctive smoky voice” - Bandcamp Daily

“One of the 15 young guns making the Les Paul cool again…Few possess Venson’s talent: her exquisite playing pairs with her smoky voice to sublime perfection” - Guitar World

Please note Week of Show price increases by $5 per ticket.

The Acorn's RESERVED SEATING ticket option includes an additional $30 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $30 Donation per ticket holder in your group.

Tickets go on sale Friday, December 13th at 10am ET.

Matthew Logan Vasquez w/ Jacob Alan Jaeger

Saturday, May. 17 | 8:00pm ET (7:00pm CT)

Matthew Logan Vasquez returns to The Acorn!

About the Artist:

Best-known as the co-founder and frontman for shape shifting heartland indie rockers Delta Spirit, Matthew Logan Vasquez's fiery delivery and thought-provoking lyrics draw from a huge and versatile well of influences, including Gordon Gano, Kurt Cobain, Neil Young, and Thom Yorke. As a solo artist, he juggles elements of indie rock, electronic pop, R&B, and soulful Americana, flirting with despondency, but ultimately succumbing to beatitude. Vasquez’s latest release Frank’s Full Moon Saloon - an album that delivers more raw versions of songs that span the band’s 20 year career, was released in February this year. Part 2&3 of the Franks series will be rolling out through 2025.

Please note Week of Show price increases by $5 per ticket.

The Acorn's RESERVED SEATING ticket option includes an additional $30 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $30 Donation per ticket holder in your group.

An Evening with Michael McDermott

Saturday, May. 03 | 8:00pm ET (7:00pm CT)

Folk-rock singer-songwriter Michael McDermott returns to The Acorn!

About the Artist:

Michael McDermott’s brand of rock n’ roll brims with the kind of wellhoned style and wisdom that can only come from a career on the road and a pedigree in the studio. Effortlessly blending natural folk sensibility, pop hooks, and honest rock, McDermott’s music is as much for the outcast as the congregation. It’s an exploration of the dark corners of life’s journey and it resonates middle class truths through the passionate filter of a kid that grew up on Chicago’s Irish South Side.

If you are a fan of Springsteen, Van Morrison, John Steinbeck, Patti Smith … McDermott’s inspirational rock is in your wheelhouse, waiting late night with a guitar, spare smokes and stories of the American heart.

“McDermott’s music helped me to find a part of myself that wasn’t lost, as I had feared, but only misplaced. That’s why we love the ones who are really good at it, I think: because they give us back ourselves, all dusted and shined up, and they do it with a smile…Michael McDermott is one of the best songwriters in the world and possibly the greatest undiscovered rock & roll talent of the last 20 years” -Stephen King

Please note Week of Show price increases by $5 per ticket.

The Acorn's RESERVED SEATING ticket option includes an additional $30 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $30 Donation per ticket holder in your group.

An Evening with Patricia Barber

Friday, Apr. 25 | 8:00pm ET (7:00pm CT)

This is what you've been waiting for. Jazz impresario Patricia Barber returns to the Acorn stage to benefit the School of American Music. If you've seen her before, you know what a special treat this is. Patricia performed regularly at the Green Mill in Chicago and can still be found regularly at Winters, also in Chicago. She has toured Europe and recorded extensively. This is a classic "if you know, you know". If you've see her before you'll want to see her again. If you've missed her the last time, you won't want to make that mistake again!

About the Artist:

Patricia Barber has earned international acclaim as a dazzling and uncompromising jazz artist. Long known for her sultry vocals, compelling pianism, and sophisticated songwriting, she has come to be regarded as a significant American composer as well–a deeply visionary artist who blurs the lines between poetry, jazz, and art music.

The Acorn's RESERVED SEATING ticket option includes an additional $30 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $30 Donation per ticket holder in your group.

The Brit Pack

Saturday, Apr. 12 | 8:00pm ET (7:00pm CT)

British born but American made, The Brit Pack was founded by two Brits in New York and have established a reputation as the most authentic British Invasion band in the US, covering the full timeline of the UK’s best music!

About the Artists

The Brit Pack – the most authentic British Invasion experience this side of the Atlantic. Formed in 2011 by British session musicians based in NYC, The Brit Pack take their audience on a journey through a dynamic blend of British classics known and loved by all, including The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Queen, David Bowie, Elton John, The Who, Oasis, Radiohead, The Police, Amy Winehouse and many more.

The Brit Pack is a supergroup of sorts, featuring the amazing talents of Matt Nakoa (vocals, guitar, keys), Mark Johnson (guitar, vocals), Bryan Percivall (bass), and Will Haywood Smith (drums). The accomplished band members of The Brit Pack have performed with artists such as Paul McCartney, Elton John, Britney Spears, Chet Faker, Tom Rush and Mark Hudson among many others. They have performed for company events at Google and YouTube and even arranged music for major television events like The Oscars. The Brit Pack delivers a show full of music from major names across the pond that’s at the same time familiar enough to make audiences feel right at home and high-energy enough to get the crowd on their feet.

Please note Week of Show price increases by $5 per ticket.

RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $30 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $30 Donation per ticket holder in your group.

Donna The Buffalo w/ Ric Robertson

Friday, Apr. 11 | 8:00pm ET (7:00pm CT)

Donna The Buffalo is not just a band, rather one might say that Donna The Buffalo has become a lifestyle for its members and audiences. Since 1989, the roots rockers have played thousands of shows and countless festivals including Bonnaroo, Newport Folk Festival, Telluride, Austin City Limits Festival, Merle Fest, and Philadelphia Folk Festival.

They’ve opened for The Dead and have toured with Peter Rowan, Del McCoury, Los Lobos, Little Feat, Jim Lauderdale, Rusted Root, and Railroad Earth to name a few. They also toured with Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen to help raise awareness about increased corporate spending in politics.

About the Artists

In 1991, the band started the Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival in Trumansburg, NY. The four day festival has become an annual destination for over 15,000 music lovers every year and was started as an AIDS benefit. It continues as a benefit for arts and education. To date, the event has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and is now one of three Grassroots Festivals; the Bi-annual Shakori Hills fest in North Carolina and Virginia Key festival in Florida. In 2016 GrassRoots Culture Camp was introduced in Trumansburg, New York as four days of music, art, dance and movement workshops, including nightly dinners and dances.

Please note Week of Show price increases by $5 per ticket.

RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $30 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $30 Donation per ticket holder in your group.

Will Hoge w/ Scott Terry of Red Wanting Blue

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

Will Hoge has a career whose milestones include Number One hits, Grammy nods, major-label record deals, and hard-won independence. Years before Americana music received its own category at the Grammy Awards, Hoge was on the frontlines, helping to pilot and popularize the genre's blend of American roots music. In the current digital era dominated by influencers seeking shortcuts to stardom, Will Hoge proudly treads the scenic route, immersing himself in the journey rather than fixating on the destination.

About the Artists

Will Hoge will release of Tenderhearted Boys, the Grammy-nominated artist’s 14th studio album on Friday, April 12. Unapologetically contrarian — an insurgent of authenticity — Hoge takes the helm on this new showcase where he breaks new ground by producing and playing every instrument himself. Each track unfolds as a chapter in Hoge's sonic autobiography, exploring the beauty found in all the nuanced corners of modern life. Tenderhearted Boys is not just an album; it's a journey into the uncharted territories of musical expression, where vulnerability meets rebellion, and every note carries the weight of the artist's unfiltered soul.

Scott Terry is an American songwriter and singer. Since 1996, he has fronted the Americana rock and roll band Red Wanting Blue. Terry is best known for passionate and often emotional live performances, autobiographical writing style and rugged baritone singing voice.

Please note Week of Show price increases by $5 per ticket.

RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $30 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $30 Donation per ticket holder in your group.

Henhouse Prowlers

Saturday, Mar. 22 | 8:00pm ET (7:00pm CT)

Founded two decades ago with the simple desire to play original and powerful bluegrass, this Chicago-bred quartet now finds themselves at the intersection of performance, diplomacy, and education.

Onstage, the group's enthralling performances give audiences a sense of how much they love what they do. On record – including their latest offering, 2023’s Lead and Iron, released via Dark Shadow Recording – the band explores their collective life experiences through songwriting and intricate instrumentation. While bluegrass is the undeniable foundation of the Prowlers’ music, the band bends and squeezes the traditional form into a keenly developed sound all their own.

This concert serves as our next recording partnership activity with 88.1 WVPE Public Radio which will air in a future "The Sauce Live from The Acorn" broadcast on WVPE! We'll be capturing LIVE footage at the show - come get in on the action!

About the Artists

Working with the U.S. State Department and under their own nonprofit, Bluegrass Ambassadors, the Prowlers have toured over 25 countries across the globe. The group's experiences with people and musicians across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East have shaped the band’s worldview and broadened the group’s direction towards bridging cultural gaps with music, educational programs, and workshops. Using traditional American music as a foundation, connecting folk music, customs, and history the world over, the Prowlers incorporate international elements into their already robust repertoire of unique traditional American music.

Whether playing live or presenting seminars, wherever they are, the Henhouse Prowlers find and spread the commonality we share as human beings through the universal language of music.

You can feel it at every show.

Please note Week of Show price increases by $5 per ticket.

RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $30 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $30 Donation per ticket holder in your group.

Church Of Cash

Friday, Mar. 21 | 8:00pm ET (7:00pm CT)

Johnny Cash’s unforgettable voice, characterized by its booming timbre and raw power, remains an enduring presence in the collective consciousness. Jay Ernest, the talented vocalist behind Church of Cash, a tribute show band dedicated to Johnny Cash, is instrumental in preserving that legacy. With his resonant and commanding vocals, Ernest ensures that the revered Man in Black’s spirit lives on.

About the Artists

Church of Cash released their fourth album, titled Flowers for June on October 22, 2022. While the record explores familiar elements of Cash’s discography, it delves into lesser-known gems. Ernest and his band members cover a range of songs, including “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky,” “One Piece at a Time,” “One on the Right Is on the Left,” “Ballad of a Teenage Queen,” and “Thing Called Love,” among others.

Flowers for June was recorded at Square Studio in Minnetrista, Minnesota, and produced by BB Productions (Jay Ernest, Jonathon TeBeest) with mixing and engineering by TeBeest. The album’s sound is crafted by a talented lineup, including Jay Ernest (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), Jonathon TeBeest (drums, percussion, background vocals), “Jumpin’” Jack Mansk (electric, baritone and acoustic guitars, background vocals), Tony Wirth (bass, upright bass, background vocals), Alexandra Green (vocals), Kale Olson Reed (violin), and sisters Kendra and Kansas Jenson (vocals).

Music has been a constant presence throughout Ernest’s life. “I have been singing since I was very young,” he shares. “I hit puberty about a year ahead of my classmates, and when we would sing in the choir, the choir director immediately knew it was me. As a farm boy in rural Minnesota, I baled hay and did farm chores to save money for my first guitar at the age of 13. I loved the sounds of a choir and the deep bass voice of Johnny Cash. I also had a fondness for Van Halen and played the guitar as much as possible. It didn’t take long for me to realize that music was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”

Cash, choirs, and rock ‘n’ roll – Ernest embodies the true artistic spirit of the man he admires every time he takes the stage. This is why Church of Cash goes beyond being a mere cover band; it represents a career driven by passion rather than the pursuit of easy money.

Originally formed in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2009, the band later relocated to Minneapolis. In 2015, Church of Cash released their self-titled debut album. Since then, touring has become an integral part of their journey, with thousands of shows performed across the United States, Belgium, the Netherlands, and more.

Where excellence resides, accolades follow. In 2019, Church of Cash received the “Best Tribute Act 2019” award from the Midwest Country Music Organization. In 2021, Jay Ernest and Church of Cash were honored with induction into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame. Never one to rest on his laurels, Ernest, with the assistance of his friend Tom Pickard, wrote a Cash-focused musical titled “Folsom Prison Experience.” The project is touring nationally.

With the release of Flowers for June and the national tours of Folsom Prison Experience, Ernest and Church of Cash are poised to cement their growing reputation as the gold standard Cash tribute show band. Ernest and his band members are living, breathing embodiments of the enduring force that is Johnny Cash’s artistry. “I want to be known as the best Johnny Cash tribute show in the world,” says Ernest. “We have credibility, and we have four studio albums as Church of Cash. I also want to have a concert in Nashville honoring the Cash family by playing his music for them and their friends. It is my wish to take Folsom Prison Experience to stages everywhere and prove that I can tour and make records, but also conceive a story and bring that story to life in musical theatre.”

Please note Week of Show price increases by $5 per ticket.

RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $30 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $30 Donation per ticket holder in your group.

Trippin Billies: A Tribute To Dave Matthews Band

Saturday, Mar. 08 | 8:00pm ET (7:00pm CT)

Bringing fans the music of The Dave Matthews Band for close to twenty years, Trippin Billies has become the gold standard for tribute bands. Based out of Chicago, the Billies have toured extensively throughout the U.S. performing at many of the same theaters Dave himself once graced.

About the Artists

Born in the pubs on the north side of Chicago, Trippin' Billies took to the “stages” of small rooms in the mid-nineties as an acoustic duo. It wasn’t long before lines grew too long for the small bars and calls started coming in from around the Midwest. As a result the band was forced to rise to the occasion, and for over twenty years ... they’ve done just that.

Trippin' Billies is comprised of some of Chicago’s absolute best musicians. They go far above-and-beyond the call of the average tribute band. Each band member's love and respect for DMB, their impact, and for high-energy performance has moved them above the "bar band" circuit and into full-blown concert settings. Whether it’s a club in Iowa City, a Hockey arena in North Dakota or a summer festival in Rochester, New York or Lincoln, Nebraska, this band puts on a SHOW that even a casual or non-fan of DMB can revel in.

Please note Week of Show price increases by $5 per ticket.

RESERVED SEATING DONATION option includes a $30 tax-deductible donation to The Acorn and guarantees you a seat with optimal sightlines. $30 Donation per ticket holder in your group.