Pub Choir 'Something To Do Tour'

Sunday, Jun. 15 | 8:00pm ET (7:00pm CT)

Pub Choir is returning to the US in June 2025 for our ‘Something To Do’ tour (STD for short). We want to spread our happy singing seed across your nation and we’re coming from down under (Australia, that is) to get it done.

What is Pub Choir? It’s a casual night of singing where even the most untalented voices will be distracted to musical glory. Created by loveable lunatic and choir mistress of myth and legend, Astrid Jorgensen, Pub Choir is an entirely improvised, comedy music lesson. At every show, Astrid teaches a brand new arrangement of one song in 3 part harmony to whoever turns up and, well… that’s it! There’s no sheet music, or auditions, or rehearsals = no pressure!

We don’t care if your voice isn’t great. If you’ve got a mouth, you’ve passed the entry requirements. Even if you don’t have a mouth, we are respectfully curious about your situation and would still encourage you to come along.

Come and stand with a room full of average strangers and share a common goal for 90 minutes. Think of all those yells you’ve been bottling up and come let ‘em out at Pub Choir. You’ll feel better, ok? And if that sounds too intimidating, bring along your weird choir friend from school who loves this stuff!

Pub Choir is joyful, it’s achievable, and it’s not as annoying as you think it’ll be. Also, it’s low key life changing to take a break from droom-scrolling your phone, and instead make an analogue piece of art with a bunch of people you just met.

In short, Pub Choir is Something To Do.

Come and catch Pub Choir’s STD singing bug this Summer. Our joy is contagious! We will make less venereal jokes at the live show.

Pub Choir is 18+

Please be aware that this event will be filmed & photographed. By purchasing a ticket and attending this event, you are giving your consent to be filmed & photographed during this event.

Please note this event is standing room only. Seats will not be assigned nor guaranteed. Please come prepared to stand, move into parts as needed, participate in learning the song and have a great time!

Tickets for this event will go on sale on March 14 at 10am ET.

Acorn Open Mic featuring Watershed Ramblers: Midwest Made

Sunday, Aug. 24 | 3:00pm ET (2:00pm CT)

The final week in our 2025 Midwest Made season is an Acorn Open Mic featuring Watershed Ramblers! Hailing from Chesterton, IN, the Watershed Ramblers are a bluegrass quartet drawn from a diverse group of influences.

Part of our Midwest Made afternoon summer concert series – Sundays throughout the summer!

About the Artists:

Hailing from Chesterton, IN, the Watershed Ramblers are a bluegrass quartet drawn from a diverse group of influences. From bluegrass to rock to funk/RnB, the Ramblers are an acoustic outfit that will take you on a ride from traditional to contemporary using their songwriting and wide range of genre-bending pickin! Known for fast paced tempos and train-like grooves, the Ramblers bring the energy with their own style of the music that everyone knows and loves.

Formed in the fall of 2022, as friends gathered in the basement of a Northwest Indiana home to explore the world of bluegrass. Over the past few years, the Ramblers have honed their craft through countless performances at local venues, music festivals as well as hosting their own events in and out of Northern Indiana. Whether it's a foot-stomping hoedown or a soulful ballad, the Rambler's performances are a journey through the heart and soul of American roots music.

Always continuing to evolve and explore new musical territories, the Ramblers remain true to their roots, drawing inspiration from the rich heritage that has shaped American music for generations. With a passion for storytelling and commitment to preserving traditions of the past, the Ramblers are a musical force to be reckoned with, promising a journey through the heartland with every note they play.

Open Mic performer inquiries: please email openmic@acornlive.org.

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.

Lake Effect Jazz Big Band: Midwest Made

Sunday, Aug. 17 | 3:00pm ET (2:00pm CT)

The Lake Effect Jazz Big Band continues to be one of the premier big bands in the Midwest, specializing in new arrangements of classic standards, new compositions for contemporary big bands, and golden oldies.

Part of our Midwest Made afternoon summer concert series – Sundays throughout the summer!

About the Artists:

The Lake Effect Jazz Big Band continues to be one of the premier big bands in the Midwest. Specializing in new arrangements of classic standards, new compositions for contemporary big bands, and golden oldies, the band performs music from the libraries of Stan Kenton, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Chuck Mangione and others. The Lake Effect Jazz Big Band is committed to preserving the uniquely American art form of big band jazz in concert and jazz festival settings across Southwest Michigan.

The band is led by Steven L. Reed, retired instrumental music teacher for the St. Joseph Public Schools, where he taught jazz ensemble, orchestra, and band for 35 years. Several members of the Lake Effect Jazz Big Band are current or retired music educators and jazz education is a priority for the LEJBB.

The band performs between twelve and fifteen concerts each summer including Jazz Festivals and full length concerts. Featured artists that have performed with the Lake Effect Jazz Big Band include vocalists Rebecca Derbas-Selvidge, Michelle Bythrow, Paul Mow, Katie Rohrer, Lisa Dabrowski, Andrew Fisher and Chicago jazz vocalist Tammy McCann. Instrumental soloists have included local trombonist Ed Bagatini, Chicago vibraphonist Jim Cooper, Ann Arbor alto saxophonist Doug Horn, and Grand Rapids area percussionist Kevin “Bujo” Jones.

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.

Grace Theisen Trio: Midwest Made

Sunday, Aug. 10 | 3:00pm ET (2:00pm CT)

Grace Theisen is a queer Americana artist originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Grace won Cari Cole’s Best New Artist of 2021 and was named “Artist To Watch” by Michigan’s Local Spins media outlet in January of 2022.

Part of our Midwest Made afternoon summer concert series – Sundays throughout the summer!

About the Artists:

Grace Theisen (pronounced “Tyson”) is a queer Americana artist originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan. After graduating from Hope College in 2014 with a double major in Gender Studies and Psychology, Grace moved to Nashville, TN from 2015-2018 to run her nonprofit, Songs Against Slavery, full-time. Their mission was to raise awareness and fight sex trafficking in the U.S. through benefit concerts. They ended up raising over $375,000 to aid in the fight. In that time, she opened for Emmylou Harris, played the infamous Bluebird Cafe, participated in songwriter rounds at The Listening Room and opened for Matthew Perryman Jones at The Nashville City Winery.

In 2019, Grace moved back to Kalamazoo to pursue music full-time. Since then she has created quite the buzz. Grace won Cari Cole’s Best New Artist of 2021 and was named “Artist To Watch” by Michigan’s Local Spins media outlet in January of 2022. In March of 2022, she released her 3rd EP, Dance With The Shadows. From that EP, the Down To The River Official Music Video won Best Americana Video & The Audience Choice Award at the 2022 Michigan Music Video Awards. Behind the Rain was picked up by one of Spotify's official playlists, Home At Last. She was also named by Revue Magazine as one of the “Top 10 Bands Heating Up The Summer.”

Grace kicked off 2023 with a splash making her debut performance at the 2023 WYCE Jammie Awards. Grace was nominated for several awards including artist of the year. Her Master of Fire music video was nominated as a finalist in the Toronto Women's Film Fest and was shown at the 2023 Hell's Half Mile Film & Music Festival. Last summer she and her band played several huge Michigan venues and festivals including: Kalamazoo Pride, Frederik Meijer Gardens, Local Spins Fest, Bliss, Buttermilk Jamboree, Dunesville and Earthwork Harvest Gathering Music Festival. This year Grace will play Hoxeyville and Mile of Music.

In the beginning of June 2023, Grace came out on her social media as queer alongside the release of her newest single, Honey’s Dripping. She wrote Honey’s Dripping about her journey of falling in love with a woman. She also released a music video to go along with the song that features LGBTQIA+ dancers.

Her most recent single, Ghost Town, is out now. She is also 1/3 of the band, The Rebel Eves, an empowering Americana girlband featuring herself and 2 other Michigan natives, Katie Pederson and Jilian Linklater.

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.

Help Hounds: Midwest Made

Sunday, Aug. 03 | 3:00pm ET (2:00pm CT)

A five piece from Northwest Indiana writing Americana, indie/folk songs. Self-reflective and a little self-deprecating at times, Help Hounds sing about nice weather and the human condition.

Part of our Midwest Made afternoon summer concert series – Sundays throughout the summer!

About the Artists:

A five piece from Northwest Indiana writing Americana, indie/folk songs. Self-reflective and a little self-deprecating at times, Help Hounds sing about nice weather and the human condition. Each member brings a little something different from toe-tapping melodies to classical cello, airy violin sweeps, to driving banjo picking. It’s the peoples’ romp and roll!

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.

Shiny Shiny Black: Midwest Made

Sunday, Jul. 27 | 3:00pm ET (2:00pm CT)

Shiny Shiny Black is an alternative folk band from Goshen, Indiana. Featuring Nate and Amber Butler, this husband and wife songwriter duo is frequently joined by keyboardist Simon Kauffman Hurst and percussionist Arthur Schroeder.

Part of our Midwest Made afternoon summer concert series – Sundays throughout the summer!

About the Artists:

Shiny Shiny Black serves an audience of thousands via their concerts, original songs and reflections on the creative life. Featured regionally in Indiana and having performed on stages throughout the US and internationally, their song “Reverie” stood out as a 2024 IAMA Finalist. They ask their audience to consider a framework of life as art, building the life you want and demonstrating how the things we make become creative vehicles for our development along the way. The band performs throughout the U.S. in traditional venues as well as the unique and personal offering of house concerts in the homes of their listeners.

The couple co-founded Nimble Wit Productions in 2003, a music and audio production company based in Goshen, IN. Clients have included HarperCollins, Magnolia Network, artists on Sony Records, New West Records, NPR and PBS alongside local emerging artists, and national touring acts. Their most recent full-length record under Shiny Shiny Black, Reverberations, released in June 2023.

Nate is an accomplished touring musician supporting and fronting bands for over two decades. He is also a live sound and recording engineer and producer for local, regional and national acts. Amber spent decades developing grassroots initiatives in the arts, non-profit and small business domains: practicing intentional community with fellow artists, and bridge-building across cultures.

Most recently, the family and band have launched an expansive restoration of a local 19th century farmhouse - reimagining neglected apartments into their next home and studio workspace, and another home for house concerts. When they’re not busy with their team, they can be found dreaming up the next reno project at home, walking the kids to school, or plumbing the depths of the Internet for the next passion project.

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.

Jack Whittle Trio: Midwest Made

Sunday, Jul. 20 | 3:00pm ET (2:00pm CT)

Jack Whittle is a blues and roots singer, guitarist, and songwriter with a staggering depth of talent.

Part of our Midwest Made afternoon summer concert series – Sundays throughout the summer!

About the Artists:

Jack Whittle is a blues and roots singer, guitarist, and songwriter with a staggering depth of talent. The Chicagoland-based performer has been busy playing all over the Midwest and beyond, including a tour of the South in support of Chicago Blues mainstay Liz Mandeville. On a local level, Jack is a pillar of the thriving Northwest Indiana music scene and a highlight of jam nights and bar stages all over the area. Underneath it all is a foundation of knowledge based upon Jack’s consummate study and love of American roots music old and new from dirty, relentless blues shuffles to infectious country dance tunes and the underlying grooves and shared vocabulary that drive them. This is exemplified in the playful versatility of his songwriting, which was put on full display when Jack released his highly-anticipated, self-titled debut album in June 2022 to tremendous acclaim including a spot on Tom Lounges’ Top 10 Regional Albums of 2022. Featuring 8 original songs, many of which were co-written alongside frequent collaborator James Gedda, as well as Whittle’s rendition of the timeless Gospel song “Glory Glory.”

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.

Sadie Gustafson-Zook: Midwest Made

Sunday, Jul. 13 | 3:00pm ET (2:00pm CT)

With a pure and agile voice reminiscent of Joni Mitchell, Sadie Gustafson-Zook’s hummable melodies balance with witty lyrics and intricate guitar playing to create charmingly honest and relatable music.

Part of our Midwest Made afternoon summer concert series – Sundays throughout the summer!

About the Artists:

“She uses her voice with the precision of an instrument, leaping between registers and outlining jazz chords, all with grace and ease...” - No Depression

With a pure and agile voice reminiscent of Joni Mitchell, Sadie Gustafson-Zook’s hummable melodies balance with witty lyrics and intricate guitar playing to create charmingly honest and relatable music. A skilled performer, Sadie’s writing tackles internal and taboo subjects while holding the audience with warmth and levity. Sadie’s songs have been endorsed by some of the most respected songwriting contests in the country, winning The Acorn's 2024 Singer Songwriter Competition, Kerrville Folk Festival’s 2022 New Folk Contest (as well as placing as a finalist in 2020), earning second place at the Rocky Mountain Folk Fest’s Songwriter Showcase, and winning first place at the 2022 NewSong + LEAF Songwriting Contest. On Sadie’s most recent album “Where I Wanna Be” (2024), Sadie takes the listener along on an intimate analog-recorded journey as she decides where to call home.

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.

Resurrection Blues Band: Midwest Made – Acorn Anywhere! at Fernwood

Sunday, Jul. 06 | 5:00pm ET (4:00pm CT)

Acorn Anywhere! returns to the lush, verdant grounds of Fernwood Botanical Garden in Niles, MI with an installment of our Midwest Made summer concert series – featuring regional favorites the Resurrection Blues Band.

Part of our Midwest Made afternoon summer concert series – Sundays throughout the summer!

Bring your own chairs to this event, but nothing more!

No outside food or beverages permitted. There will be a cash bar and food available on site.

THIS EVENT IS RAIN OR SHINE
*In the event of severe weather, this show will be moved to The Acorn, 107 Generations Drive in Three Oaks.

About the Artists:

The Resurrection Blues Band is a local Southwest Michigan favorite. Between Good Times, Bad Times, and the Blues, the Resurrection Blues Band has kept a faithful following throughout the years, and they have no plans on slowing down. From a live concert video available on YouTube to their upcoming EP release, The Good, The Bad, & The Blues, you won't be sorry to have witnessed the Resurrection & Rise of Southwest Michigan's Power Blues/Rock Trio, the Resurrection Blues Band!

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. BRING YOUR OWN CHAIR.

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

Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Friday, Jul. 18 | 8:00pm ET (7:00pm CT)

Celebrating over 45 years since their founding in 1977, the GRAMMY Award-winning New Orleans-based Dirty Dozen Brass Band has taken the traditional foundation of brass band music and incorporated it into a blend of genres including Bebop Jazz, Funk and R&B/Soul.

About the Artist:

In 1977, The Dirty Dozen Social Aid and Pleasure Club in New Orleans began showcasing a traditional Crescent City brass band. It was a joining of two proud, but antiquated, traditions at the time: social aid and pleasure clubs dated back over a century to a time when black southerners could rarely afford life insurance, and the clubs would provide proper funeral arrangements. Brass bands, early predecessors of jazz as we know it, would often follow the funeral procession playing somber dirges, then once the family of the deceased was out of earshot, burst into jubilant dance tunes as casual onlookers danced in the streets. By the late '70s, few of either existed. The Dirty Dozen Social Aid and Pleasure Club decided to assemble this group as a house band, and over the course of these early gigs, the seven-member ensemble adopted the venue's name: The Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

Roger Lewis - Baritone Sax/Vocals
Gregory Davis - Trumpet/Vocals
Kirk Joseph - Sousaphone
Trevarri Huff-Boone - Tenor Sax/Vocals
Stephen Walker - Trombone/Vocals
Julian Addison - Drums
Takeshi Shimmura - Guitar

The unique sound of The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, described by the band as a ‘musical gumbo,’ has allowed them to tour across 5 continents and more than 30 countries, record 12 studio albums and collaborate with a range of artists from Modest Mouse to Widespread Panic to Norah Jones. Forty five-plus years later, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a world famous music machine whose name is synonymous with genre-bending romps and high-octane performances.

“The Dirty Dozen Brass Band is arguably the most influential ensemble to emerge in New Orleans over the last 25 years. Its sway on the brass band scene has been staggering, spawning bands like the ReBirth, New Birth, Hot 8, Li’l Rascals, Soul Rebels and just about every other young brass ensemble presently performing.” - Offbeat Magazine

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.

Tickets will go on sale Wednesday, March 5 @ 10am ET.