Dennos Concert Series
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.
Joan Shelley
Friday, January 16 | 7:00 PM
$15 - $25
Kentucky singer/songwriter Joan Shelley has a warm and mellifluous voice which she applies to songs that evoke both American and British folk traditions. With melodies that are often quiet but full of drama, her observant music often bears a dark and bittersweet quality as on releases like 2015’s Over and Even, the album that marked the beginning of a long collaboration with guitarist Nathan Salsburg (the two are now married).
Her new album, Real Warmth, was recorded in 2025 in Toronto with producer Ben Whiteley (The Weather Station, Jake Fussell), with a full band of Canadian collaborators. It is her 7th full length album, consisting of songs written between the space of moving her family from the south where she was raised, to Northern Michigan where she was born.
Full Cord
Friday, February 13 | 7:00 PM
$20 - $30
When it comes to movers and shakers in the bluegrass world, Full Cord is a super-group on the rise. After winning the prestigious 2022 Telluride Bluegrass Band Competition in Colorado, the Michigan-based group followed that with another much-coveted honor when the International Bluegrass Music Association named Full Cord its “Momentum Award Band of the Year.” While mandolinist Brian Oberlin notes the band’s music “is new and fresh to the ears of seasoned bluegrass fans,” the bluegrass traditions in Full Cord have deep roots.
The group’s members – Brian Oberlin, guitarist Eric Langejans, bassist Todd Kirchner, banjo Max Allard – boast decades of musical artistry, with experience in popular performing bands from Michigan to Oregon. The group brings along top players to fill in fiddle and banjo to round out that rich bluegrass tone. The band’s debut album on Nashville’s Dark Shadow Recording was released in Nov. of 2023 and has maintained charting positions through spring of '24. Full Cord’s songwriting has reached a new “tipping point,” Manager Katie Kirchner suggests, enhanced by the group’s vast repertoire and robust experience in numerous band projects over the years.
And Oberlin insists the band is “just hitting its stride” – ready to follow in the footsteps of fellow Michigan bluegrass icons Billy Strings and Greensky Bluegrass as yet another star in the making.
During the show, Super Nuclear will be in the auditorium creating custom visuals!
TÉada
Sunday, March 8 | 6:00 PM
$25 - $35
Thornetta Davis
Friday, April 10 | 7:00 PM
$25 - $35
2025 Blues Music Award Winner Thornetta Davis, was crowned Detroit’s Queen of the Blues in 2015 by the Detroit Blues Society, is an internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter, and independent recording artist. With a career spanning decades, she has shared the stage with legends like B.B. King, Ray Charles, Etta James, and Bonnie Raitt. As a 10x BLUES Foundation Blues Music Award nominee, and 2x winner of the 2025 and 2023 Blues Music Award for Best Soul/Blues Artist Female her powerful vocals and soulful storytelling have earned her worldwide recognition. She is the winner of over 30 Detroit Music Awards, including multiple wins for her acclaimed album Honest Woman.
past performances
The Lightfoot Band
Sunday, October 5 | 6:00 PM
The Lightfoot Band is not a tribute act—these are the original musicians who recorded and toured with Gordon Lightfoot for decades. Featuring Rick Haynes (bass), Barry Keane (drums), Mike Heffernan (keyboards), and Carter Lancaster (guitar), the band is joined by Andy Mauck on vocals and guitar, honoring Lightfoot’s legacy while playing Gord's trademark Martin D-18 and Gibson B-45 guitars.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald tragedy and Lightfoot’s iconic song inspired by it. The Lightfoot Band delivers unforgettable performances of this and other classics, including “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Sundown,” “Early Morning Rain,” and deeper cuts from Gordon’s catalog - some of which haven’t been played live in decades. The Lightfoot Band brings a rare authenticity to Gordon’s music, having performed it live at legendary venues like Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, and on shows like Saturday Night Live.
Every performance is enriched with stories from the band’s years alongside Gordon, offering a deeper connection to his life and music. After the show, fans have the unique opportunity to meet the musicians, share their memories, and connect with the legacy of one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time.
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.
Luke Winslow-King
Sunday, November 23 | 6:00 PM
Originally from Cadillac, Michigan, Luke Winslow-King conjures a soulful tapestry that fuses delta blues, roots-rock, and folk music. His sound is characterized by masterful slide guitar work, captivating lyrics, and highlighted by a burgundy voice that resonates with earned authenticity. He captivates audiences world-wide with his dynamic performances and has formed deep, personal connections with his listeners. Now living in Calatayud, Spain, Luke continues to pursue his quest; to deliver honest, powerful, rustic, and authentic peoples’ music by stage and recording alike.
This concert will also serve as a food drive for the NMC Food Pantry. Those who'd like to support our local students can drop off donations at the museum the night of the concert. Last month was the busiest yet for student usage since the pantry began back in 2017.
Mr. Sun
Sunday, December 14 | 6:00 PM
If you haven’t heard of the cheerfully named supergroup Mr. Sun, you’ve certainly heard its proponents, four of the finest musicians on the American roots scene: renowned fiddler Darol Anger, guitarist Grant Gordy, Scottish bassist Aidan O’Donnell, and mandolinist Joe Walsh. Mr. Sun has seized upon the inspiration of Duke Ellington’s brilliant, sly, & urbane re-interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s Suite as an opportunity to salute and re-invent this wildly multi-faceted work anew through the lens of the American String Band, a musical form which contains myriad styles and is presently engaged in a marathon upheaval of innovation and expansion.
