Music That Will Move You
Welcome to the Dennos Museum Center and Milliken Auditorium! Your support of the arts in our community - through your ticket purchases, your attendance, and sharing your experience with others - remains as important as ever as we work to bring you thoughtfully curated music concerts for all.
What To Expect
On the night of the concert, doors will open one hour before showtime. During that time, the galleries will be open for ticket buyers to view our current exhibitions, and shop the museum store for waters and light snacks. View our current exhibitions and upcoming exhibitions to learn more about what will be on view before each performance you attend. Shows are typically 75-90 minutes and do not include an intermission.
Current NMC Students can get two FREE tickets to any show. Email dmc@nmc.edu to secure free student tickets in advance.
Stay tuned for the Fall 2025 and Winter/Spring 2026 series line-up!
PAST PROGRAMS
Larry McCray
Friday, April 11th | 7:00 PM
Larry McCray moved to Saginaw, MI in 1972, where he developed his guitar skills by blending the blues with rock riffs. His debut album Ambition helped define contemporary blues rock, leading to a series of successful albums throughout the 90s. McCray has performed with blues legends like BB King and Buddy Guy, and rock greats such as the Allman Brothers.
Tickets are $25 for members and NMC employees, $30 advanced, and $35 at the door, plus fees.
Peter Madcat Ruth’s C. A. R. Ma. Quartet
Friday, March 14th | 7:00 PM
The C.A.R.Ma. Quartet features veteran musicians from Michigan, including Grammy winning harmonica virtuoso Peter Madcat Ruth. The group plays an eclectic mix of traditional and improvisational music, drawing from diverse genres such as blues, jazz, and world music. Madcat's career has spanned over 60 years, during which he has studied under Big Walter Holton and performed with Dave Brubeck.
Laurel Premo
Friday, February 7th | 7:00 PM
Laurel Premo is known for her deep and rapt delivery of roots music, voiced on finger-style electric guitar, lap steel, fiddle, and voice. The glowing heartiness and rich grit of her sound reveal a love of and complete submersion in heavy archaic roots—from the crossover of old-time and blues American traditions to darker Nordic sounds.
Opening set by Joan Shelley and Nathan Salsburg.
This performance will feature multiple special guest collaborators including the world premiere of two pieces by visual artist YonkersVidal.
Steppin' In It
Wednesday, January 8th and Thursday, January 9th | 7:00PM
Formed out of love for traditional American Folk & Blues music, Steppin’ In It has been playing shows and packing dance floors for over 20 years. No stranger to Northern Michigan, the band has played Traverse City countless times together and are happy to return for a rare reunion. January’s concerts will feature founding members Andy Wilson on harmonica, Joe Wilson on dobro, Joshua Davis on guitar, Dominic Davis on bass, Geoff Lewis on drums and Mike Lynch on Hammond Organ.
Wednesday, January 8th performance will feature opening special guest Zak Bunce. Thursday, January 9th performance will feature opening special guests the Interlochen Arts Academy Pop Ensemble.
Irish Christmas In America
Sunday, December 8th | 6:00 PM
Produced by Sligo fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada, the hugely popular Irish Christmas in America show features top Irish music, song and dance in an engaging performance rich in humour and boundless energy. The 2024 tour features the return of vocalist Caitríona Sherlock, a stunning example of the very best of new Irish female vocal talent.
This family-friendly performance features lively instrumental tunes on fiddle, flute, uilleann pipes and harp, along with thrilling Irish old-style dancing from Samantha Harvey. In addition, evocative photographic images provide a backdrop to some of the rich historical traditions of Ireland. Take a memorable glimpse into the enchanting spirit of Christmas, as the finest traditional artists from Ireland, bring you on a fun-filled start to the holiday season of 2024.
Earth Radio with Visuals by Super Nuclear
Thursday, November 7th | 7:00 PM
Earth Radio are storytellers of a future yet to be realized. This Grand Rapids Future-Soul group is Justin Avdek (bass, vox), Hannah Laine (keys, vox), Dutcher Snedeker (keys, synth), and David Ward (percussion). The band formed in 2017 when Avdek brought these unique West Michigan musicians together for a recording collaboration which turned into a progressive project, birthed from a shared passion of neo-soul and sonic ingenuity. You’ll hear elements of funk, rock, soul, and progressive jazz, reminiscent of Hiatus Kaiyote, Erykah Badu, and Radiohead, melded together into a sound that is uniquely Earth Radio.
Special Guest Sosohifi will open the show. Formed in Traverse City in 2022, Sosohifi play a groove-laden mix of West African, German Kosmische, and psych-jam based music.
Super Nuclear is a visual artist who uses handmade liquid light projections to add a whole new dimension to any live performance.
May Erlewine
Saturday, October 26th | 7:00 PM
One of the Midwest’s most prolific and passionate songwriters, May Erlewine continues to share her gift for writing songs of substance that feel both new and soulfully familiar. Her lyrics offer a window into her heartbreak, her empowerment, and her emboldened spirit.
Special Guest Charlie Millard Band will open the show. From Michigan’s northern lower peninsula, this trio’s performances have audiences raving about their refreshing Indie-Roll sound described as “small movies for the ears”.
Our performance seasons are supported in part by the Osterlin Performance Endowment, the Robert T. and Ruth Haidt Hughes Family Trust, the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, Arts Midwest and the National Endowment for the Arts.
