Lyle Lovett, Graham Nash, Ricky Skaggs among the headliners in Door Community Auditorium 2024 season
FISH CREEK - Big names, names you should know, a few returning favorites, legendary and rising stars making their local debuts, and a slew of award winners fill the schedule for Door Community Auditorium's 2024 Main Stage season, which was announced Friday morning.
Cari Lewis, the auditorium's executive director, said she's proud of the coming season put together by DCA, even coming after a 2023 season in which the auditorium sold out more shows than it ever had in its 33 years.
"I don’t remember us ever having this many recent Grammy winners in the lineup. This might be a record," Lewis said in a news release for the season. "There’s something for everyone: Comedy, dance, soul, family programming, a little nostalgia, a good amount of harmony and Americana, and some world-class regional talent, too.”
The harmonies start right off the bat as the season opens June 19 with the latest incarnation of 1970s-'80s pop-rock hitmakers Little River Band ("Reminiscing," "Lonesome Loser," "Take it Easy on Me"). Next up is roots-folk duo Watchhouse, who played DCA in 2016 back when they were called Mandolin Orange, on stage June 27 with special guest troubadour Charlie Parr. Closing the month is a concert by progressive bluegrass pioneer, three-time Grammy Award winner and International Bluegrass Hall of Fame member Sam Bush on June 30.
A couple more Grammy winners kick off July at DCA, starting July 2 with Americana guitar phenom Molly Tuttle, who won the 2023 Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album for "Crooked Tree." She's followed by another Grammy winner (for "Infinity Plus One," 2017's Best Children's Album), family-friendly hip-hop artist 23 Skidoo and The Secret Agency on July 8, before country-blues gospel band The Wood Brothers takes the stage July 14.
Back at DCA by popular demand is Lyle Lovett and His Large Band for a July 20 date. This will mark the fourth time the alt-country icon and four-time Grammy winner has played DCA with his band, with the previous shows in 2015, '16 and '19 all quickly selling out.
Then for the last week of July, JJ Grey and Mofro bring their Southern soul-rock July 24; a triple bill of The Drifters, The Platters and Cornell Gunter’s Coasters sing their early rock-soul hits of the 1950s and '60s in a July 28 show; and acclaimed songwriters Eilen Jewell and Chris Smither are on stage July 30.
August brings three shows that vary widely in style, beginning with 15-time Grammy-winning mandolin picker Ricky Skaggs with his band Kentucky Thunder returning for an Aug. 2 date; he'd previously played there in 2017. Following on Aug. 4 is SistaStrings, a violin/cello duo of sisters who are natives of Milwaukee, now based in Nashville, blending R&B, gospel and classical sounds. Then comes Graham Nash, a two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer as a member of The Hollies and Crosby, Stills and Nash, for an Aug. 18 show.
September opens with a mystery show, an alternative/indie/reggae concert by a yet-to-be-announced act Sept. 7. Then comes another returning act, the Alash Tuvan Ensemble, which brought its throat singing to DCA in 2016 and is back for a Sept. 13 concert, followed by Americana singer-songwriter Angel Olsen on Sept. 20.
A unique dance program is on stage Sept. 22 with Jumaane Taylor’s “Supreme Love,” tap dance set to the offbeat rhythms of hard bop music, especially John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme," in a co-production with the Door Kinetic Arts Festival. Neo-soul iconoclast Meshell Ndegeocello performs Sept. 29 and recent U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, the first Indigenous person to serve in that post, plays with her band Oct. 4.
Late October sees the return of DCA's Blues, Roots & Hoots Festival. The second annual festival with four straight nights of acts features a jazz-and-tap show in “Some Enchanted Evening” Oct. 24; improvisational comedy Oct. 25 from 10-season "Saturday Night Live" member and Emmy Award winner Tim Meadows, Matt Walsh and Friends (Oct. 25), an encore performance Oct. 26 of last year's tribute concert “Door County and Memphis Voices: Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Beyond”; and folk-jazz by Madeleine Peyroux on Oct. 27.
The auditorium has two holiday-time shows on the schedule. The Nov. 30 show "A Ketchup Christmas" has local band Ketchup covering the album “In the Christmas Spirit” by legendary R&B band Booker T. & the M.G.'s. Then, Colin Welford, a musician, composer and musical director of shows from Broadway to Northern Sky Theater, is joined by some musical friends for “Songs that Sleigh” Dec. 14.
A handful of shows also are on for early 2025, with Afro-jazz circus Cirque Kalabanté on Jan. 26, Spanish-English kids’ duo 123 Andrés on Feb. 28 and 23 Skidoo & The Secret Agency returning from their July gig for an April 4 show.
In addition to the Main Stage shows, DCA plays host to the classical music of the Peninsula Music Festival season over the first three weeks of August as well as a variety of community concerts throughout the season.
Tickets go on sale to the general public May 14, with presales for DCA VIPs beginning May 7. Season subscriptions with discounts are available for those who plan to attend multiple shows. The auditorium also continues to seek sponsors and volunteers for the season.
Door Community Auditorium is at 3926 State 42, Fish Creek. For tickets or more information on shows, subscriptions, volunteering or becoming a DCA VIP, go to the DCA box office, 3926 State 42, Fish Creek; call 920-868-2728; or visit dcauditorium.org.
2024 Main Stage season
June 19: 1970s-80s pop-rock hitmakers Little River Band
June 27: Roots-folk duo Watchhouse (formerly Mandolin Orange) with special guest Charlie Parr
June 30: International Bluegrass Hall of Fame member Sam Bush
July 2: Guitar phenom Molly Tuttle
July 8: Family-friendly hip-hop with 23 Skidoo and The Secret Agency
July 14: Country-blues gospel with The Wood Brothers
July 20: Alt-country icon Lyle Lovett and His Large Band
July 24: Southern soul-rock with JJ Grey and Mofro
July 28: 1950s-'60s rock-soul hits with The Drifters, The Platters, and Cornell Gunter’s Coasters
July 30: Acclaimed songwriters Eilen Jewell and Chris Smither
Aug. 2: Legendary mandolin picker Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder
Aug. 4: Classical/R&B string duo SistaStrings
Aug. 18: Legendary rocker Graham Nash
Sept. 7: Alternative/indie/reggae concert with a yet-to-be-announced performer
Sept. 13: Throat singing with the Alash Tuvan Ensemble
Sept. 20: Americana songwriter Angel Olsen
Sept. 22: Jumaane Taylor’s “Supreme Love,” a bop jazz/tap dance performance
Sept. 29: Neo-soul pioneer Meshell Ndegeocello
Oct. 4: Former U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo and her band
Oct. 24: Jazz and tap in “Some Enchanted Evening," part of the second annual Blues, Roots, & Hoots Festival
Oct. 25: Improv comedy with Tim Meadows, Matt Walsh and Friends, part of the second annual Blues, Roots, & Hoots Festival
Oct. 26: Encore performance of “Door County and Memphis Voices: Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Beyond,” part of the second annual Blues, Roots, & Hoots Festival
Oct. 27: Folk-jazz chanteuse Madeleine Peyroux, part of the second annual Blues, Roots, & Hoots Festival
Nov. 30: A Ketchup Christmas, with local band band Ketchup performing Booker T. & the M.G.’s’ “In the Christmas Spirit”
Dec. 14: “Songs that Sleigh” with composer/musical director Colin Welford and Friends
Jan. 26: Afro-jazz circus Cirque Kalabanté
Feb. 28: Spanish-English kids’ duo 123 Andrés
April 4: Family-friendly hip-hop with 23 Skidoo and The Secret Agency
Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or [email protected].
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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door Community Auditorium 2024 season has Lyle Lovett, Graham Nash
