The Shane Center Presents concert series is generously sponsored by Walter & Regina Wunsch, SPECTEC TIC

Kristen Grainger & True North

Saturday, February 15 | 7:30- 10:00 PM

Americana Folk

Fronted by award-winning song crafter Kristen Grainger, the Americana folk powerhouse includes Dan Wetzel on guitar and octave mandolin,  Martin Stevens on mandolin, octave mandolin, and fiddle, and Josh Adkins on bass – and everybody sings.

The band showcased at SXSW in 2022 on the USA Songwriting stage, and Kristen continues to earn more national songwriting honors, most recently at Common Ground on the Hill and Hope Rises, a tribute to excellence in social change songwriting curated by Noel “Paul” Stookey of Peter, Paul & Mary.  

A songwriter whose star continues to rise, Kristen Grainger was named, alongside Brandi Carlile and Dolly Parton, one of the Women Who Wrote Our 2020 Soundtrack by The Bluegrass Situation. Kristen won first place in the 2020 USA Songwriting Competition (folk), and she has won or been a finalist in national songwriting contests at Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Wildflower Festival, Merlefest, and Kerrville New Folk. Prior to becoming a full-time musician, Kristen served as vice president of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, and speechwriter for two Oregon governors.

An accomplished singer-songwriter who toured nationally as a solo artist, Dan Wetzel is also a luthier who handcrafts musical instruments, including those used in performance, that look and sound beautiful. His superb skills as a vocalist and on guitar, both flat-pick and fingerstyle, give True North’s songs their fat sound and driving groove.

Martin Stevens grew up in the Old Time Fiddlers contest community, winning several state and regional championships during his childhood. Martin’s first two bluegrass groups, Athena and the River City Boys and Molly Adkins and Martin Stevens, performed for several years at bluegrass festivals in the Pacific Northwest. A silky-voiced singer and stellar fiddle and mandolin player, Martin was a co-founder of the Bluegrass Regulators, releasing two albums and performing all over the country, most notably as one of the IBMA showcase artists.

Josh Adkins cut his teeth, musically speaking, alongside Martin in the Bluegrass Regulators. A multi-instrumentalist and vocalist of considerable skill and versatility, Josh delivers a solid bass groove that is anything but mundane. A monster musical talent, Josh’s superpower is his knack for arrangement, finding the missing piece, vocally or instrumentally, that best showcases the song.

Stephanie Davis & Fred Newman

Saturday, April 12 | 7:30- 10:00 PM

Radio Theatre

A unique evening of songs, sounds, and sketches, in radio-theater format, featuring singer-songwriter Stephanie Davis, world-class sound effects man Fred Newman. Plus, Livingston’s own award-winning songwriter, John Lowell.

Soul/Blues

John Roberts’ Soul Skillet is a vibrant, vocal-led soul and blues project that fuses the rich sounds of traditional Soul, NeoSoul, Blues and Jazz, creating a musical experience that resonates with all audiences. Led by Roberts (songwriter, lead vocalist and B3 organist) the band is known for its energetic performances, heartfelt lyrics, and original compositions that draw inspiration from legendary artists. Experienced with a professional music career that started in Los Angeles, Roberts was able to tour, perform and record with Soul and Gospel music icons like Bobby Womack, Chaka Khan, Beverly Crawford, Booker T, Kirk Franklin, Al Green, The Temptations, The O'jays and more. Inspiration for Soul Skillet is pulled from these real-life experiences.

Formed in 2024, Soul Skillet consists of a talented rhythm section and dynamic horn

players, each musician bringing their unique influences and styles to the table. The dynamic sound is characterized by soulful melodies, deep pocket, and powerful instrumental solos, creating a rich tapestry of sound that captivates listeners, both live and on the debut recording, “The Last Thing I Do”.

John Roberts fell in love with blues and soul music as a young teenager while growing up in North Central Montana. Garnering records of Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Willie Dixon,

Professor Longhair and more, Roberts spent many hours at the piano singing and learning this music by ear. This nostalgia was the impetus to begin the band Soul Skillet, which he leads from the B3 organ.

Roberts has performed in all 50 of the United States and internationally on 6 continents:

Mexico, South America, Israel, Cuba, India, Asia, Europe, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Australia and Africa. Notable venues include the Lincoln Center in New York, Pantages Theatre, Kodak Theatre, Roskilde, House of Blues, Blue Note, Apollo and Apollo London. Tours include; John Roberts y Pan Blanco (Afro-Latin Soul), Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca (Congolese/Cuban), Bobby Womack (Soul), Los Pinguos (Argentina), The Temptations, Chaka Khan, The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, and more. Other performances and recordings include multiple Grammy and Emmy Award Shows, Chris Botti, LA Philharmonic, Feist, Sting, Dr. Dre, Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, Fallout Boy, Burt Bacharach, Bill Holman, The Ojays, Jill Scott, Christina Aguilera, The Today Show, NPR, PBS and Disney.

John Roberts' Soul Skillet

Saturday, September 6 | 7:30- 10:00 PM

Gabriel Donohue with Vonnie Quinn

Saturday, November 15 | 7:30- 10:00 PM

Neo Celtic

Irish born (county Galway) Multi Instrumentalist/ Singer Songwriter Gabriel Donohue is based in Philadelphia. He performs mostly on guitar and piano but also plays many more instruments from bouzouki/mandolin to irish and exotic percussion.

Gabriel performs throughout the US and worldwide, solo and along with a cadre of top flight musicians. In 1999 he began to tour with Irish music legends The Chieftains and added guitar, piano and voice to their live performances  in Spain, France, Norway, Denmark, Italy, UK and many tours of the USA. He has performed five times at New York's Carnegie Hall. He toured for X years with Cherish the Ladies.  He has recorded with the Boston Pops, Eileen Ivers, Joanie Madden, James Keane, Sean Quinn, Brian Conway, John Whelan, Karen Mal, Aoife Clancy, and Liam Clancy.

The lists of artists he has collaborated with, is a who's who of the top musicians in the acoustic and celtic music field. He performed with Michael Flatley at the National Heritage Awards in Washington DC. And played with Eileen Ivers at the Clinton White House entertaining Irish and American dignitaries and signers of the Good Friday peace accords.

Vonnie Quinn was born in the 1980s in County Limerick, Ireland, and is a television and radio host, as well as an accomplished journalist and musician. Quinn is primarily known as the host of the show “Bloomberg Markets: Americas” and “Bloomberg Markets: European Close” broadcast on New York’s Bloomberg TV. Her career has been active since 2006.

Before venturing into the world of journalism and television, Vonnie had a passion for music – she learned to play violin at a young age, and attended The Limerick School of Music. As a proof of her talent and skill with the violin, during her teenage years Vonnie played with the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, however, towards the end of her high school education, Quinn developed an interest towards journalism, and so after she matriculated, she enrolled at the National University of Ireland where she studied Journalism. Wishing to continue her education abroad, she applied for the National University of Ireland Travelling Studentship scholarship, which she was awarded, and got the opportunity to study at Oxford University and Columbia University. Quinn decided to continue her studies at New York’s Columbia University.